chicken biryani
Ingredients
rice - 2 cups, basamati / jasmine
chicken - 250 gms
onion -one half cup chopped and one half cup sliced
tomato paste - one half cup
ginger garlic paste - 1 table spoon
*garam masala- 1 teaspoon
biryani masala - 1-2 tablespoons
bay leaves - 3-4
black pepper - 1 teaspoon
cloves - 4-5
cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
yogurt - one half cup
vegetable oil- enough for deep frying sliced onions
butter - 2 tablespoons
turmeric a pinch
red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
saffron - 3-4 strands soaked in warm water
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish
*Spices (garam masala)- Most frequently used spices in Indian cooking esp in Maharashtrian curries. It comes in a powder form,red in color and the ingredients are red chillies,dry coconut,white sesame seeds,cumin seeds,black pepper,black cardamom,clove,cinnamon.
Recipe
1. Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
2. Apply yogurt - 2 tablespoons, turmeric,salt,and ginger- garlic paste to chicken and set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Heat vegetable oil in saute pan. Fry sliced onions over low flame until they turn dark red or brown .
4. Melt butter in a sauce pan , add bay leaves, black pepper, cloves , chopped onions and fry until golden brown. Add tomato paste and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then add marinated chicken, garam masala, red chili powder, salt and fry for another 4-5 minutes.
5. Add biryani masala in rest of the yogurt , pour over chicken and mix well. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
6. When the chicken is half done, start cooking rice. Measure 4-5 cups of water in a nonstick cookware and bring it to boil. Add salt, vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon, cumin seeds , washed rice,and cook uncovered stirring ocassionly.
7. When the rice is half done i.e. when the water in the rice is puffed up , remove rice from heat and drain water using a strainer. Take another nonstick cookware which has a tight lid. At the bottom, pour a layer of chicken followed by drained rice. Sprinkle fried sliced onions and saffron water on top of rice. Cover with a tight lid and cook for another 7-8 minutes on low flame. Do not stir.
8. Garnish with remaining sliced fried onions and cilantro. Serve hot with salad.
Tips
1. Cook rice on low flame.
2. If you are running short of time , you can go for a short cut. You can get ready made baked chicken and add to rice. The procedure other than cooking the chicken will remain the same. It will cut the preparation time to half.