Indian Food & Recipes

My most favorite dish is biriyani. It is prepared with rice and meat (generally chicken, mutton, lamb and beef). It is a North Indian dish. I prefer chicken biriyani, so I'm giving here recipe for chicken biriyani.
Biriyani recipe may vary from region to region, I'm giving the simplest one - it can be prepared at home easily.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken (medium sized pieces)
• 1kg Basmati rice
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 spoons ginger garlic paste
• 3 spoons red-chili powder
• 1/2 spoon Turmeric, 1cup coriander leaves
• 1 spoon garam masala powder
• 1 to 1/2 spoon salt ( according to taste)
• 1cup Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2cup Yogurt, 1 cup oil
• 5 drops edible Saffron color
• 1 cup chopped onions(1)
• 1 cup finely chopped onions(2)
• 100gms Cashew nuts
• 4-5 Bay leaves
• 4-5 Lavang
• 3-4 an inch-long Cinnamon sticks
• 6-10 green chillis ground to paste
• 3-4 Cardamom pods
• 1-2 spoons shahjeera

Preparation:

1. Heat the spices in a pan on low flames for 5 minutes, then grind to make biriyani masala
2. Chicken Marination - Make deep incisions on the chicken flesh for spices to get absorbed. Mix turmeric, chili powder, salt, ginger garlic paste, yogurt.
3. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the meat and let marinate for an hour in room temperature
4. Heat about 100ml of oil. Roast shahjeera (a spoonful), cloves, cinnamon, depoded cardamom, bay leaves, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally add chopped onions(2).
5. When onions turn slight brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min.
6. Add garam masala. Gravy should not be much, chicken pieces should look roasted.
7. Biriyani Rice - Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice.
8. Slightly rinse the basmati rice, and add water.
9. When it becomes half cooked, drain off the excess water. Also add 1-2 tea spoons of salt to it.
10. Take a few semi cooked grains of rice and color them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
11. The Biriyani - You will need a utensil preferably broad based (handi).
12. Apply ghee at the base of the pot.
13. First, put about half of semi cooked rice in it.
14. Next make a layer of chicken (use half the entire quantity) and top it with a layer of rice (half of the remaining rice). One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with layer of remaining rice on top ends the rice-chicken layering stage.
15. Spread the biriyani masala on each layer.
16. Heat oil and deep fry onions(1) to golden brown.
17. Similarly fry cashews.
18. Garnish the top layer of rice with these two along with 100ml ghee, saffron rice grains and coriander.
19. Lid the vessel and try making it air tight (applying flour putting).
20. Put on low flame.
21. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference.
22. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents by a shaking.
23. Remove from the flame and wait for about 10 minutes before opening. Serve it with raita and enjoy... :)

Related dish: Pulao, Sweet Pulao, Mixed Pulao, Fruit Pulao, 
                       Paneer Matar Pulao