Chicken Biryani

A chicken biryani is a dish with rice and is popular in Pakistan and India, usually is a mix of, herbs, rice and spices as type of meat or vegetables. Serve chicken biryani with some salad of sliced cucumber and tomato wedges topped with some yogurt dressing.

Cooking Biryani:

Ingredients:

2 Lbs of Chicken with bones, and cut

1 Large potatoes, and chopped, and it is an optional

Two cups of Basmati rice

Eight cups of water

1½ Cups yogurt, or curd

3 Tablespoons vegetable Oil

2 Tablespoons ghee

2 Teaspoons garlic, and minced

2 Teaspoons ginger, and minced

1 Teaspoon black cumin

1 Teaspoon cumin powder

1 Teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 Teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 Teaspoon saffron, or kesar

A bunch of mint leaves, and chopped

1/4 Cup of cilantro, and chopped

1 Cup of fried onions, and divided

1 Green chili, and chopped

2 Pieces of cinnamon stick

Two of bay leaves

One of black cardamom

3 Pieces of Mace

4 of green cardamoms

4 of cloves

Whole Peppercorns for testing

1 Tablespoon of golden raisins

1 Tablespoon of cashews

Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of red chili powder

Make Chicken Biryani:

Method for chicken biryani:

1. You need to wash, after that soak the rice for half hour.
2. Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a pan.
3. In the water add some bay leaves salt, green cardamoms and oil.
4. Add the rice in boiling water.
5. When water starts boiling, cook for 5 minutes (rice needs to be done 3/4).
6. From rice, drain the water, and keep aside.
7. Mix saffron and water (one tbsp) in a separate bowl, and keep on aside and allow to soak.
8. Put a pan on medium heat, add Ghee and oil.
9. When is hot, add in golden raisins and the cashews, fry for a 2 min till the cashews get a golden color.
10. From the pan remove..
11. In the balance of whole spices add some cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black or green peppercorns cardamom, mace, and peppercorns.
12. Fry them for one min.
13. Black cumin you need to add (if black is not available you can use regular cumin).
14. Allow them to sizzle.

15 Add some ginger and garlic, fry them for 1 minute. Keep them stirring.

16. Add cleaned and washed pieces of chicken and mix them well.
17. When the chicken is sealed, add fried onion (1/2 cup), potatoes, yogurt, cilantro (you need to save for garnish some), green chili, mint, and spices –cumin, coriander, red chili ,turmeric, and salt.
18. Mix well then cover them and cook 10-15 min (the chicken need to be 3/4 done).
19. Oven pre-heat to 250 degrees.
20. With a little oil coat an oven-proof dish.
21. Start layering the chicken at bottom of the dish with some of potatoes (save the gravy for top).
22. The rice fluff up, then add a layer of top of the chicken with half of rice.
23. Layer balance of potatoes and the gravy on the top of rice.
24. The balance of the rice need to be spread.
25. Layer the raisins, cashews, cilantro, fried onions, and saffron.
26. Put a little bit of Oil and then need to drizzle.
27. Cover them with a foil or an air-tight lid and need to bake for one hour, till the potatoes are cook.
28. Take your ladle and mix well.
29. Allow it to sit for 5 min and served with some cilantro and mint raita.
30. Serve.