Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani Ingredients:

Chicken : 1 whole
Basmati rice : 1 kg
Onions : 1 cup (thinly sliced)
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Ginger and garlic paste : 2 tea spoon
Chilli powder : 3 tea spoon
Turmeric : 1/2 tea spoon
Cashew nuts : 100 g
Bay leaves : 4 to 5
Cloves : 5 to 6
Cinnamon sticks : 1 inch long
Cardamom pods : 3 to 4
Mint leaves : 5-6 strands
Coriander leaves : 4-5 strands
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tea spoon
Lemon : 1
Ghee (clarified butter) : 1 cup
Oil : 4 table spoons
Yogurt : 1/2 cup
Saffron : 6-8 strands
Salt to taste

Preparation Method :

Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt and 1 table spoon of lemon juice.
Next, make deep incisions on the chicken pieces such that the spices are absorbed well.
Apply the above prepared paste onto the chicken pieces and let it marinate for an hour.
Heat 4 table spoons of oil in a vessel. Roast cloves, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/2 spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder,bay leaves and 1/2 cup onions.
Roast it for 1-2 minutes and then add some mint leaves.
When the onions turn golden brown, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for about 30-35 minutes.
Note that the chicken should not be fully cooked at this stage.
Now add garam masala powder and coconut and turn off the flame once the chicken is about 3/4th cooked.
See to it that the gravy should not be much and also, the chicken pieces should look as if they have been roasted.
Meanwhile, when the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice.
Wash 3 cups of basmati rice and add water slightly less than the quantity of the rice itself so that it is only half cooked.
Add 1-2 tea spoons of salt to it.
Soak 3-4 strands of saffron in 4-5 table spoons of milk.
Now take 1/2 table spoon of this half cooked rice and dip it into the saffro flavoured milk.
Take a utencil having a base of 12″ and place half of the semi-cooked rice in it.
Prepare a layer of half of the above prepared chicken on top of this rice layer and again, top the chicken layer with rice (half of the remaining).
Again, another layer of remaining chicken and finally with the layer of the remaining rice on the top, ends the rice-chicken layering process.
Heat 2-3 table spoons of oil and deep fry 1/2 cup onions until they turn golden brown. Next, roast the cashews.
Garnish the top layer of rice with the fried onions, cashews, coconut milk, ghee, coriander and the saffron flavoured rice.
Cover the vessel with a lid and place it on a high flame for about 5 minutes. Note that the flame should not concentrate at the vessel’s center, but on one side of it.
Wait for 2-3 minutes and rotate the vessel to heat the opposite side. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 minutes for about 20-25 minutes. Every time you rotate it, carefully disturb the contents by a small jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at the bottom.
Turn off the flame and keep it aside for 10 minutes before taking off the lid.
Before serving, mix thoroughly, the medley from the bottom.
Serve with boiled egg halves to enjoy the dish fully.