Chicken Biriyani

It feels so good to post something here after almost 2 months ! Wooohooooo !!!! And definitely I should start by posting my all time favorite food - BIRIYANI :-)  Why don't I ever get tired of eating this :-) hmmm.... never seemed to have found an answer to that very interesting question. So, lemme give a background of posting this. My very dear friend gifted me a special vessel to cook biryani, I think this can make biriyani for at least 12- 15 people, wish I had taken a better click of the "paathram". Next time ! Mutton Biriyani is my all time favorite, but since this friend came home on a short notice, I had to make biriyani with the chicken that was readily available at home. Made some easy chicken Kababs to go with it. 

What you need to get started 

Basmati Rice - 5 cups ( U.S. measuring cup ) ( I used Royal Basmati rice)
Chicken - 1.1/2 kgs
Onions - Large yellow ones from Costco - 2 No.s
Tomatoes  - 3 no.s
Pearl Onions or Shallots (Kochulli )- 10 no.s
Pudina (mint leaves) - a handful
Malliella ( coriander leaver )- a hand full or a little more
Curry leaves - nice large sprig
Green chillies - 7-8 ( depending on your tolerance )
Ginger - 3 tablespoons ( chopped )
Garlic  - 2 table spoons ( chopped )
Curd - 2 table spoons
Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons ( Add more if you like the tangy flavor)
Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoons
Almonds - 10 nos.
Raisins - ( I use the black ones ) - 3 tablespoons ( you can use 2, if you want to reduce that sweet flavor , I really love that taste and smell )
Spices:
Cinnamon - 1-2 inch long
Cloves 4-5
Fennel seeds- a teaspoon
Star anise - 2 nos.
Bayleaf 2-3
Elachi  3-4
Vanilla essence 2 table spoons
Milk 5-6 table spoons
Yellow food color if you want
Salt - ofcourse :-)
Method

1. Soak the raisins, poppy seeds and almonds in 3-4 table spoons of hot water, keep aside
2. Start frying the large onions, the whole thing should be fried to a golden brown color and kept aside. (Don't fry it too dark, it darkens as it sits)
3. Make a paste of the Tomatoes, pudhina, malliella, green chillies.
4. On your pester mortar or if you don't have one, in your small grinder jar, make a paste of the ginger garlic. In malayalam, I would say, chathechedutha paruvam.
5. Soak the rice.
6.Add dalda or ghee or oil into the pan. I generally use Dalda and ghee. Add the raw spices, Cinnamon, Cloves, Elachi, Star anise, Fennel seeds, Bay leaf
7. Add the sliced pearl onions with the curry leaves. This brings a good aroma in the house, pearl onions, curry leaves cooking in ghee, makes an Indian house smell good ;) bringing back memories of home in kerala.
8. Once that is sautéed , add the paste of ginger garlic.
After the raw smell of that goes, add the paste of tomatoes, mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies.
9. Once the raw smell goes, add the chicken and cook for 5-10 mins., closed with a lid, stirring in between. At this point, you may want to add the salt.
10. Add 3/4 portion of the "Bista" now.Keep cooking
11. Add the paste of raisins, poppy seeds and almonds.Keep cooking
12. Add Yogurt, let it still keep cooking
13. Finally the lemon juice.
Check the taste, let the chicken cook till its 80 -85 % done.

(Within 20 minutes, your chicken should be almost done cooking. Add needed amount of salt as needed.)

Then comes the story of rice

1. Don't soak the rice for more than 30 minutes.
2. Keep a big pot of water to boil, and once it boils, add the raw spices, 1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 cloves, 2 star anise, 2-3 bay leaves, Elachi 3-4, add the rice and then some salt ( this is your last chance to decide the right amount of salt for your biriyani). Now, keep checking the rice, when you think its 70-75% done drain it in a colander

Marriage between the Chicken and Rice

1. In the same pot, in which the chicken is getting cooked, spread the 75 % cooked rice adding some vanilla essence milk and saffron mixed in a bowl in between the layers of rice , along with some chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.

2. Close the lid tight, I didn't need to use maida around the lid, because the lid of this pot is very heavy and doesn't let any vapor escape. I let it cook on medium low flame for another 20 minutes and LO and BEHOLD !!! the biriyani is ready and when you open the lid, the smell of the biriyani is irresistible. ATTACK while its hot with some cold raita and nice narenga achaar ( lime pickle). Hmmmm... :-) Need I describe more ?


Enjoy!!!

 This was done in the Dum style, for the baking in oven in layers style , click here