Chicken Biriyani

This is a very special chicken biriyani   .I went through different kinds of Chicken biriyani recipes and this is kind of a blend of Lucknow biriyani (Awadhi  biriyani ) dum style and kerala style biriyani .

Ingredients :

1. Chicken Biriyani -   1 kg
2. Onion - 5  big nos cut  thin lengthwise 
3. Ginger paste-  1 tbsp
4. Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
5. Ginger cut into long strips - 2 tbsp
6. Bay leaves  - 4 Nos
7. Star Anise- 2 nos
8. Cloves- 6 nos
9. Cinnabon sticks- 2 No
10. Black Cardamon - 2 Nos
11. Green Cardamons - 2 Nos
12. Chopped Coriander - 1 Cup
13. Chopped pudina - 1 Cup
14. Saffron - a pinch
15. Milk - 1/4 cup
16. Whole coriander - 2 tbsp
17. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
18. Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp
19. Garam Masala for chicken gravy-  4 tsp  
20. Curd- 2 Cups
21. Green Chilly slitted- 3 nos
22. Oil as required
23. Ghee as required
24. Lemon Drops 
25. Maida flour prepared as required for final baking stage.
26. Garam Masala for final stage - 2 tsp

For Marination 

1. Curd- 2 tbsp
2. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
3. Pepper Powder- 1 /2 tsp
4. Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
6. Salt as required.

How to Cook

Stage 1 :  Initial Preparation

1. Fry the 2 onions  till it turn dark brown.Keep this aside.
2. Soak the saffron in milk and keep this aside.
3. Add the whole coriander, cumins seeds and shahi jeera to a nonstick pan with out oil.Saute for a minute till it start to turn brown .After a while , powder it in a mixie  and keep this aside.

Stage 2 :Marination and Frying Chicken pieces

1. Initially marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients for marination for 1 hour .
2. Pour oil to the pan , when it is hot , fry the chicken pieces.
3. Fry for around 15 minutes adjusting the flame till it start to turn golden brown.
4. Make sure the chicken  is not fully cooked.

Stage 3 : Preparing the chicken gravy

1. Add ghee to the pan , when it is hot , add the Bay leaves  -2  Nos,Star Anise- 1 no,Cloves-3 nos,Cinnabon sticks- 1 No and saute for a minute.
2. Now add the ginger garlic paste , saute till the raw smell goes.
3. Add the onions ( 3 nos ) and saute till it turn translucent.
4. Add the green chillies ,powdererd masala and garam masala . Saute for a minute.
5. Now add the curd , chopped coriander , chopped pudina ,chicken pieces and cook in low flame for another 15 to 20 minutes .(If you want add  1 Cup water as required / as how much gravy you need for the chicken)

Stage 4  : Cooking Rice.

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak in water for around 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, drain out the water . Keep aside the rice .
3. Add water to the bowl for cooking rice.
4. Add the spices  ( Bay leaves  -2  Nos,Star Anise- 1 no,Cloves-3 nos,Cinnabon sticks- 1 No, Black and Green Cardamon - 2 nos ) , ghee to the water to cook rice.
5. Now when the water start to boil , add the rice , enough salt , lemon drops .
6. Cook for sometime , keep checking how much the rice is cooked.
7. It should not be fully cooked , but 90 % cooked.
8. Keep the rice aside to cool

Stage 5  :Final Baking Stage 

1. Take the pan to cook the biriyani and on the bottom of the pan , sprinkle ghee and spread it over.
2. Now add the chicken gravy to the bottom.
3. Add a layer of rice above the chicken gravy .
4. Sprinkle saffron milk , powdered garam masala , fried onions , chopped pudina and coriander,ginger strips over the rice.
5. Repeat the same until all the rice and chicken are over  with the rice at the top.
6. Now at last add the saffron milk , powdered garam masala , fried onions , chopped pudina and coriander,ginger strips over the rice.
7. Also sprinkle ghee over the top.
8. Now take the maida dough , roll it and spread it around the edges of the pan .
9. Close the pan and make sure you press the lid to the pan so that it gets closed airtight .
10.  Now cook on high  flame for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes , steam will start coming out through the maida dough  and you can get the tempting aroma.
11.  At this stage, cook on low flame for 20 minutes.( You can alternatively use a dosa tawa and place the biriyani vessel over it and cook on low flame )
12.  Now your chicken  biriyani will be ready.Serve hot with pickles, pappad  and salads.

Note : Please refer my recipie for Hyderabad Dum Biriyani for  the final baking stage of biriyani with pictures to refer.