CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice-2 cups

Chicken pieces-half KG

Onion-2(big),thinly sliced

Tomatoes-1 small(more gives sweet taste to biryani)

Green chillies-2 slit in to 2 pieces

Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Turmeric powder-Half tsp

Garam masala-half tsp

Saunf powder-half tsp

Cinnamon-1 inch stick

Cardamom-2

Bay leaf-1

Mint leaves-1 small bunch

Coriander leaves-1 small bunch

Coconut milk 2 cups

Cashews and raisins

Oil/Butter/ghee

Salt

Method of preparation.:

Clean and Soak the basmathi rice for half an hour.

Cut chicken in to medium pieces and clean it well.

In a large kadai add Butter or Ghee and fry cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf. Add onions and fry them until it becomes brown color. Do not over fry them until they char. It will give you a bitter taste. When it is done add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw flavor of ginger and garlic is gone. Add cut tomatoes AND FRY IT TILL IT IS COOKED. Once the tomatoes are soft and tender add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, saunf powder and fry them well till the raw smell disappears.

Now add the cleaned and cut chicken pieces and fry them along with masalas. Add little water (1 tbsp) and keep it in simmer for around 5 minutes.

Fry cashews and raisins in little ghee.

In a separate kadai add ghee or butter and fry the soaked rice for 2 to 3 minutes .Once it is done, add the chicken pieces along with masalas, fried cashews and raisins, 2 cups of coconut milk and 2 cups of water. Add the required salt and mint and coriander leaves and pressure cook for 1 whistle in high flame and then simmer it. Keep it in simmer for another 5 minutes.

When the pressure is fully release, remove from fire and serve with raita and chicken gravy

Raitha recipe:

Curd-half litr

Onion-1 small cut in to thin slices

Green chillies -2-3 cut in to small pieces

Cucumber-1 small piece cut in to small pieces

Carrot-1 finely grated

Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Mix all the ingredients and add required salt  and serve it with chicken biryani

Tips :

Do not overcook the rice. It becomes soggy.

You can also add water instead of coconut milk if you do not want the biryani to be very rich and creamy.

Always use good quality basmathi rice.

Always use less salt in the beginning and then check it out and add more salt.

If you do not want the biryani to be spicier, you can add kashmiri chilli powder instead of normal chilli powder.