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.

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani

This is a really easy to make recipe for  yummy delicious aunthentic hyderabadi dum biriyani .

A MUST TRY RECIPE. You should choose the best quality basmati rice for this recipe.

Adding ghee is the speciality of this recipe.The flavour and the aroma of the biriyani is irresistable .

Ingredients

For chicken marinade 

1. Chicken washed and cleaned -1 kg
2. Fried Onions - 1 Cup
3. Garam masala- 1 tbsp
4. Chilly powder- 1 tsp
5. Green Chilly slitted- 3 no
6. Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
8. Curd- 1 cup thick
9. Ginger garlic paste- 3 tbsp
10. Ghee - 2  tbsp
11. Salt as required
12. Lemon Juice 2 tbsp
13. Pudina and coriander leaves- 1 cup
14. Ghee -1 tbsp for spreading on the bottom of the pan 

How to Prepare :

1. Take the pan in which you are planning to prepare the dum biriyani .
2. Spread the ghee on the bottom of the pan evenly.
3. Marinate the chicken pieces with the above ingreidents for marinade and marinate it for 1 hour .( atleast  30 minutes ) in the  same pan.
4. Keep this aside.

NOTE :   Always make sure after you cook the rice you should instantly transfer the cooked rice to the chicken pieces and start to bake which will be mentioned in detail later.

For the Rice 

1. Best Quality Basmati Rice ( Preferably long grain rice ) - 3 Cups
2. Cloves- 4 no
3. Bayleaves- 4 nos
4. Star Anise- 4 nos
5. Shahi jeera- 1 tsp
6. Pepper Balls - 5 Nos
7. Cardamon sticks- 2 nos
8. Black cardamon powdered- 1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste

How to Prepare :

1. Wash the rice and soak the rice in water for half an hour. 
2. Add the ingredients from 2 to 9 into the water and when the water starts to boil , add the rice.
3. Cook for 10 minutes .Stir the rice once in a while and make sure enough water is there.
4. Make sure the rice should not be fully cooked but only 3/4 th cooked.
5. When the rice is 3/4 cooked , you would be able to break the rice with your hand but still not fully cooked.When you bite the rice , you will still feel the raw taste. 

Ingredients  for biriyani

1. 3/4 th cooked rice 
2. Saffron - 1 tsp
3. Milk - 1/2 Cup
4. Marinated chicken
5. Onions - 5 Big
6. Ghee- 5 tbsp
7. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
8. Chopped coriander  leaves - 1 Cup
9. Chopped pudina leaves - 1 Cup
10. Maida Flour - 2 Cups turned to a smooth dough 

Final Stage-Baking the Biriyani 

1. Add the saffron to the milk and keep this aside for half n hour.
2. Deep fry the onions till it turn brown and crispy .Keep this aside.
3. Take the pan where you marinated the chicken pieces . 

4. As soon as the rice is 3/4th cooked transfer a layer of rice over the marinated chicken.

5. Make sure when you add the rice to the marinated chicken , allow some water to come along with it to make sure the biriyani is moist.( donot drain the rice completely )

6. Add few pudina , coriander leaves over the rice.

7. Sprinkle garam masala , fried onions over the rice.

8. Add another layer of rice still allowing some water to come along with the rice.The rice would be over this time.9. Add the saffron milk over the rice .

10. Add coriander and pudina leaves , fried onions over this .

11. Atlast add the ghee over the rice.

12. Now take the maida dough , roll it and spread it around the edges of the pan as shown

13. Close the pan and make sure you press the lid to the pan so that it gets closed airtight .

14. 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 which is going to surely water a few mouths .
15. 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 )
16. Now your chicken dum biriyani will be ready.Serve hot with pickles, pappad  and salads.

Prawns Biriyani

Ingredients:

1. Prawns - 1 1/2 Cups
2. Onion- 3 No
3. Basmati Rice- 2 Cup
4. Onion - 2 No for frying.
5. Tomato- 2 No
6. Mint + Coriander Leaves chopped- 1/2 Cup
7. Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp
9. Garam Masala-1 tsp
10. Green Chilly - 1 No
11. Cloves- 6 No
12. Cardamon- 4No
13. Bayleaves
14. Cashewnut Paste- 2tbsp
15. Cashewnut and raisins - 1/s cup
16. Salt
17. Oil
18. Ghee- 3 tbsp

Marinade:

1. Chilly Powder- 1 tbsp
2. Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
3. Salt to Taste

How to Cook:

1. Marinate the prawns with the ingredients and keep aside for 1 hour.
2. Cook the prawns .Stir fry the prawns for sometime till it gets cooked.
3. Wash the rice well and soak in water for half and hour.
4. After half an hour, drain out the water , keep the rice aside.
5. Soak the cashewnuts in 1/4 cup water and make a paste of it.
6. Add oil to the pan, add cloves , cardamon , bayleaves , saute for 1 minute.
7. Add onions and  saute the onion  till it turn golden brown.
8. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, cashewnuts ,greenchilly, garam masala , coriander powder,tomatoes, turmeric powder  to a finepaste and add to the sauted onions.Cook for 5   to 7 minutes.
9. Add the rice to the onions and Saute for 3-4 minutes taking care not to burn the rice kernels.
10. Add the cooked prawns and mix it well.
11. Add 4 cups of water , 1 tsp lemon ,salt and bring to boil.
12. Close the pan and cook for sometime.
13. Check in between  whether the rice  is cooked.Cook for minimum 20 to 25 minutes.
14. Add ghee to the pan and fry the raisins and cashewnuts.
15. Add oil to the pan ad fry the onions.
16. Garnish the cooked rice with fried onions, cashew and raisins.

Kerala Style Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 11/2 Kg
2. Basmati Rice - 1 Kg
3. Curd- 2 tbsp
4. Onion - 8 No cut lengthwise
5. Onion Shallots - 15 No
6. Ginger- big Piece
7. Garlic- 10 pods
8. Tomato -3
9. Coriander Leaves Chopped- 1 Cup
10. Mint Leaves chopped - 1/2 Cup
11. Garam Masala- 2 tsp
12. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
13. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
14. Chilly Powder- 3 tsp
15. Green Chilly- 2 No
16. Grated  coconut- 1/4 Cup
17. Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp
18. Ghee
19. Oil to Fry
20. Cinnamon-4
21. Cloves-5
22. Bay Leaves
23. Cardamon-10
24. Cashew Nuts - 20
25. Raisins-10

For Marinade

1. Chilly powder-1tsp

2. Turmeric powder-1tsp

3. Pepper powder-1/2tsp

4. Curd-1tbsp

5. Salt-to taste

6. Garam masala powder-1tsp

How to Cook

A ) Chicken

1. Mix all the ingredients for marination along with chicken in a bowl.Keep aside for 1 hour.

2.  Heat  oil in a pan.Fry the marinated chicken pieces ( till 3/4th ).

3.  Drain and keep aside

B) Rice

1. Wash the rice.

2. Add cloves,cinnamon,and cardamom to the water and boil it.

3. To the boiling water ,add rice and allow it to cook(3/4 only)

4. When rice is ¾ th cooked, add ½ tsp ghee and lemon juice into it.

5. Switch off the gas and drain the rice and keep aside.

C)  Frying

1. Fry cashew nuts ,raisins and keep it aside.

2. In a pan fry grated coconut(till light brown)and keep it aside.

3. In a Pan  heat oil and add sliced big onion and fry till it become golden colour.Drain and keep aside .

4. Mix all the fried items( cashew nuts, raisins, coconut , +onion fry ) together .Keep  it aside

D) Gravy

1. Crush small onion,green chilly ,ginger ,garlic together . In a big kadai heat oil and add this mix and fry it till light brown

2. Add sliced big onion to the kadai and saute till onion turn light brown.

3. Add tomato , chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric powder to the above mixture one by one and saute well.

4. Add 1/2cup of mint leaves +coriander leaves +2tsp curd.Stir well.

5. To the mixture add  ( C)  fried Cashew nuts, raisins, grated coconut , sliced big onion.

6. Add fried chicken and small amount of water to this.Mix well and cook till the chicken gets soften . When the gravy appears to be dark brown colour and the chicken get soften turn off the gas.

E)Bake the rice with chicken.

1. Take a big vessel and grease it with ghee.Then at the bottom of the vessel add rice, then add chicken with gravy and go on doing this alternatively till the rice and the gravy gets over.

2. Garnish with  Coriander leaves .

3. Close the vessel with a tight lid.

4.  Double boil the mixture for 20 minutes.