Biriyani is one of my favourite food and this recipe in particular which has been passed on from my grandmother to my mom and then onto me, is one of my favourites. Getting the right consistency of rice in the biriyani is the challenging part. This one is slightly different from all other biriyani recipes as the green chillies are roasted in oil with whole garam masalas and ground to a fine paste which makes it flavourful. Also, yogurt and lime juice are the key ingredients as compared to tomatoes in other biriyanis.
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Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 3 cups
Water – 4 1/2 cups
Lime juice – 1 tsp
Coconut milk powder – 1 tbsp or thick coconut milk – 1/4 cup
To grind (for chicken masala and rice)
Whole Green chillies – 10
Cloves- 4
Cardamom – 4
Cinnamon – 6 (1/2 inch pieces)
Aniseed/Saunf – 2 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1/2 tsp
For the chicken masala:
Onions – 4 big sliced
Yogurt – 4 tbsp
Chicken – 750 gmps
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Lime Juice – 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves – half a handful
Mint leaves – half a handful
Tomato – 1 small
Red chillie powder – 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Green chillie paste ground – 1/2 of the amount mentioned
Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup
For Rice:
Onions – 2 big (sliced)
Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
Green chillie paste ground – 1/2 of the amount mentioned
Cinnamon – 2 (1/2 inch piece)
Cloves – 2
Bay leaves – 2
Coriander Leaves – half a handful
Mint leaves – half a handful
Oil – 1 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Preparation:
Clean the chicken, wash it well and marinate it with the yogurt, turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
Wash the basmati rice well and soak it for 30 minutes in 6-7 cups of water.
In a flat bottomed pan, add oil and heat it. Add the chopped green chillies and saute it for a minute (pic 2). Then add the aniseed, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and saute it well for another 2 minutes (pic 3). Put off the flame, transfer it to a mixer (pic 4). Let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Grind it to a smooth paste (pic 5). Keep it aside.
In the same pan, add oil and proceed to make the chicken masala. When the oil is hot, add the onions (4 sliced) and saute till it becomes translucent (pic 7). Add the garam masala powder and then add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until the raw smell goes off (pic 8). Next, in goes the half of the ground chillie paste (pic 10) and the coriander and mint leaves (pic 11). Saute it well for 3 minutes and add the chopped tomato, lime juice and the red chillie powder (pic 12). Saute until it becomes mushy. Now, it is time to add the marinated chicken (pic 13). Stir it well, lower the flame to low and close and cook adding 1/2 a cup of water (pic 14). Adjust the salt seasoning . After 7 minutes, open and saute again until it has a masala consistency and is not watery (pic 15). Put off the fire and keep it aside.
Now, proceed to cook the rice. In another flat bottomed wide pan, heat oil and ghee. Add the whole garam masala (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves) and when it starts to become brown, add the sliced onions (2) and saute well (pic 17). Then, add the ginger garlic paste and half of the green chillie paste and saute again until the raw smell disappears. Add the mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute again (pic 18). Drain the basmati rice and add it to the pan (pic 19) and gently saute it once or twice very gently making sure that the grains do not break (pic 20).
Add 4 1/2 cups of boiiling water and coconut milk powder (or thick coconut milk) to the rice (pic 21). Adjust the salt, add lime juice and close the lid (pic 22) and let it cook on high for 5 minutes (pic 23). When the grains are 3/4 cooked (pic 24), add the chicken masala to the rice (pic 25) and gently mix well to combine. At this point, heat a cast iron tava and place the pan on top of it (pic 26). Close tightly and reduce the flame to slow and cook for 20 minutes. Do not be tempted to open it but make sure the flame is kept low.
After 20 minutes, open and check if the rice is cooked. If not, close and keep it for some more time.
Serve the biriyani onto a serving dish and garnish it with coriander leaves.
Meal Haven 