Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

For this months Blogging Marathon the second category I chose is Holiday recipes. Generally on holidays I plan some elaborate recipes. A full meal with 3-4 dishes or something heavy with non-vegetarian. So my first recipe for holidays is hyderabadi chicken biriyani. 

Cooking on holidays is actually fun for me. The whole family would get involved and we will cook amidst other chores around the house. The whole process of cooking a meal will take 3-4 hours. There are many types of biriyani and the hyderabadi biriyani among these is a little time consuming. But the hyderabadi style of biriyani is absolutely delicious. 

I got to know that the word biriyani is derived from the persian word "beryan" which means yummy. Biriyani is made from a mixture of  special spizes and basmati rice, meat or vegetables and yogurt

Ingredients:

pepper corns  - 6

cloves and green cardamoms each  - 3

black cardamom - 2

cinnamon  - 2

javeri mace - 1

bayleaf - 2

black cumin - 2 tsp

lime juice  - from 1 lemon

cumin and coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

green chilli - 2

onion fried  - 2

oil or (ghee)  - 2 tbsp

medium sized onions sliced  - 4

Tomatoes sliced - 1

salt  - to taste

chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

chopped mint leaves - 2 tbsp

each of chopped ginger and garlic - 2 tbsp

flavored rice (basmati) -  500 grams

chicken medium pieces - 500 grams

yoghurt  - 2 tbsp

turmeric  - 1 tsp

saffron color - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Chicken marinade:

• Clean the chicken pieces.
• In a bowl add green chillies, 1 tsp mint leaves, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp coriander leaves, pepper-corns, black cumin, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder. Mix well.
• Add 1 tbsp of fried onions and 1 tbp of oil to the above mixture. Also add yogurt. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces to this and mix well and let the chicken pieces get coated evenly.  Marinate this for 3-4 hours.

Cooking rice:

• Clean the basmati rice and soak it in enough water for about 30 minutes. 
• Boil water in another vessel. I took about 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
• To the boiling water add some ghee or oil and add the whole spices to the boiling water.
• Add the right amount of salt to the boiling water. 
• Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. 
• Let the rice cook 60-70%. Drain and keep it aside. 

Preparing the biriyani.

• Take a biriyani handi or a big heavy bottomed vessel.
• Add some oil and add the sliced onions. Fry them until translucent.
• Add sliced tomatoes and add the marinated chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is half cooked, for about 10 minutes.
• Now sprinkle the drained rice on top and spread evenly such that the chicken is completely coated.
• Sprinkle coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions on top. 
• Add saffron juice (saffron soaked in milk).
• Put a tight lid on top or as i did make a dum using flour. (Take little amount of flour, mix it with water and make a dough out of it. Spread it on top of the vessel and keep the lid on top of it).
• Cook the above in high flame for 5 minutes and then in low flame for about 15 minutes.
• Switch off the stove and open the lid after about 10 minutes.

Tenderly cooked hyderabadi chicken biriyani is ready!!!

Notes:

• We can use ordinary jeera instead of black cumin.
• Hyderabadi biriyani is usually served with raitha and mirchi ka saalan.
• I served it with boiled eggs and papads.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#65