Chicken Biriyani

From

Swayamprava’s Kichen

With Chicken Biriyani my memories of Hyderabad is attached. While coming to Mumbai by Konark express, it usually halts at Secunderabad station for 10-15 minutes. But the true biriyani lovers, usually queued up near the door before the arrival of the station. As soon as the train halts you will find people running breathlessly and quite frantically towards the entrance of the station. Within 6-7 minutes you find relaxed faced but still breathless people running towards train with handful of biriyani packets. As the train pulls from the station the whole train feels with the enchanting smell of the chicken biriyani, giving the eternal touch of Nirvana to the Biriyani Lovers.

Thanks to, Alfa’s Biriyani Resturant near Secunderabad Station making us to run for biriyani . I have learnt it in guess work after eating it several times. But I really astonish how it tastes the same as that of Alfa’s. Hope It will taste wonderful when you try it too…..  

For Biriyani

5-6 big onions thinly sliced vertically

1 table spoon Lemon juice

½ cup finely chopped mint leaves ( Pudina)

¼ teaspoon Keshar (saffron) soaked in warm milk or water)

For Chicken

1 k.g chicken cut into medium pieces

6 teaspoon garlic paste

3 teaspoon ginger and green chili paste

12-14 teaspoon onion paste

1 teaspoon jeera + Dhania powder + 2 sticks of cinnamon+ badi illaichi (cardamom)

1 teaspoon Garam mashala powder

About 200-250 gm...Oil (according to your taste and health)

two table spoon ghee (Deshi Ghee).

{Oil should be the flavourless one like sweekar }

 Wash the chicken .Add salt , ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and a spoon ful oil into it. Marinate and keep aside for ½ hour.

In a deep nonstick pan add oil and Ghee. Bring it to the smoking point .Add the finely sliced onions into it. Fry till golden brown. Keep aside.

In that leftover oil add the Jeera Dhania powder, Garlic, chili and onion paste. Fry till the oil leaves the side. Add the marinated Chicken pieces into it. Fry in a high heat till the chicken’s turned into golden brown and leaves oil from the side.

(Pressure cook it adding ½ -  ¾ glass of water.)

Bring one whistle and release the pressure after five minutes.

For Rice

About 500gm-750gm of Basmati rice

The proportion should be ,If you put two glass of rice then put 3 ½ glass of water.

Whole Mashala Like

2 two big sticks of cinnamon

2 big cardamoms,

2 small cardamoms

2 phool chakri (star shaped flower used for garam mashala)

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

Ghee one teaspoon

I do it in rice cooker and I feel that is the easiest to do keep it in dum (means in indirect fire)

In a rice cooker add water, rice all the masala, salt and ghee. When half done add lemon juice. When 90% is done take out the rice bowl from the rice cooker with the help of gloves and let it cool.

Final arrangement

In the rice cooker first put the chicken pieces along with its little gravy in it. Add half of the rice in one thin layer on top it .Arrange the fried onions on top it .Then arrange the mint leaves. Then put the final layer of rest of rice. On top add Lemon juice .and soaked Saffron on it. Switch on the rice cooker. As it goes to warm mode swich it off. You biriyani is ready to serve.

Raita

Thinly cut

2 cucumber,

1 small bit root,

2 carrots

1 onion,

1 tomato,

2 spring onion,

2 green chilli

3-4 spoon finely chopped coriander leaves

1 cup thick curd

¼ black salt (used for chat)

Salt to taste.

Whip the curd to make it  smooth. add salts .Add all the salad vegetables ito it.

Serve with the Biriyani.

(Instead of Chicken you can use the vegetables, eggs, Mutton, Paneer, Soya chunks and do it in same method.)