Recipes:Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 4 Onions - Medium size
• 600g - 650g Chicken - Broiler - Small - 8 pcs.
• 400g Rice - Basmati
• 1/2 cup Curd
• 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste (Adrakh Lehsun Paste)
• 2 teaspoons Red Chilli Powder (Lal Mirch Powder)
• 2 teaspoons Biryani Masala
• As per taste Salt
• 2-3 teaspoons Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Mint Leaves (Pudiney ke Patte)
• 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania) - chopped
• 6 Green Chillies (Hari Mirch) - cut from centre in two long strips
• 2 Bay Leaves (Tej Patta)
• 2 Green Cardamom (Choti Hari Elaichi)
• 2 Black Cardamom (Badii Kali Elaichi)
• 4 Cloves (Laung)
• 8 Black Peppercorn (Sabut Kali Mirch)
• 1 inch Cinnamon Bark (Dalchini)
• 2 litres Water
• Small Muslin Cloth
• 100 grams Butter - melted
• 2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
• 1/2 cup Milk (luke warm)
• 2-3 drops Food Color - Orange
• 1 inch Ginger - Julienned (cut into long thin strips)
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 2 teaspoons Kewra Jal
• 12" x 18" Food Wrapping Aluminium Foil

Making

1. Cut Onions into Slices and Fry till Golden Brown. Don't Burn. Keep aside for use.
2. Wash and Clean the Chicken pieces. Poke the Chicken pieces with a Fork.
3. Take a Glass Bowl, add Chicken pieces, Curd, Ginger Garlic Paste, Red Chillies, Biryani Masala, Salt as per taste, Lemon Juice, few Mint Leaves, one fourth part of onions fried earlier and mix well. Apply the mix well on and around all the pieces of Chicken. Cover the Bowl and place it in a Refrigerator for Thirty minutes.
4. Wash and soak the Rice in Water for Thirty minutes.
5. Add and tie in a Muslin Cloth; the Bay Leaves, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cloves, Black Peppercorn and Cinnamon.
6. Boil Water in a Pan. Add and mix half a teaspoon of Salt into it. Put the tied Muslin Cloth Bag into the Boiling Water.
7. Drain the soaked Rice and add it to the Boiling Water. Parboil (Partially Boil) the Rice. Don't Overcook. When parboiled, Drain the excess Water from the Rice and let it dry.
8. Take out the Marinated Chicken from the Refrigerator.
9. Take a Pan with a thick bottom. Add Two Tablespoons of Cooking Oil in it and heat it on a slow flame for two minutes.
10. Add Marinated Chicken Pieces into it. Cook the Chicken on medium flame. Stir well but gently. Add One to Two tablespoons of water, if it appears dry. The Chicken will be cooked in Fifteen to Twenty minutes. Remove from flame and keep aside.
11. Take another large Pan with a thick bottom. Add and arrange a layer of cooked pieces of Chicken on the bottom of the Pan with a little Gravy. Then, spread and cover the Chicken pieces with half the parboiled rice.
12. Sprinkle : half of the remaining fried Onions, half of the Green Chillies, a few Mint Leaves, a few chopped Coriander Leaves over the layer of the parboiled Rice.
13. Pour : half the melted Butter, half the Milk, half the Kewra Jal and a few drops of Orange Food Color all-over the layer of the Rice.
14. Sprinkle : half a teaspoon of Garam Masala and half the Julienned Ginger all-over the layer of the Rice.
15. The first layer of the Chicken Biryani is now ready.
16. Add and arrange a layer of the remaining pieces of Chicken over the first layer of Rice.
17. Then, spread and cover the layer of the pieces of Chicken with the remaining parboiled Rice.
18. Sprinkle the remaining : fried Onions, Green Chillies, Mint Leaves and chopped Coriander Leaves over the layer of the parboiled rice.
19. Pour the remaining : melted Butter, Milk, Kewra Jal and a few drops of Orange Food Color all-over the layer of the Rice.
20. Sprinkle the remaining : Garam Masala and Julienned Ginger all-over the layer of the Rice.
21. Tightly Cover the Pan/ Cookware with Food Wrapping Aluminium Foil or Cover the Pan with a Lid and seal it with Cooking Dough.
22. Cook the sealed Pan on a very slow flame for Twenty Five to Thirty Minutes.
23. The Chicken Biryani is now ready. Stir and Mix all the Contents Gently.
24. Serve Hot with Mint Raita/ Chutney, Sliced Onions and Enjoy.