Thought for Today
Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients:
For Marinating Chicken:
- 500 grams chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 cup yogurt (curd)
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder
- Salt to taste
For Biryani Masala:
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 cup fried onions (optional)
- 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Whole spices (2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom pods, 2-inch cinnamon stick)
- Salt to taste
For Layering:
- Saffron strands soaked in warm milk
- Fried onions (optional)
- Chopped coriander leaves
- Chopped mint leaves
Instructions:
- Marinate Chicken:
- In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala powder, and salt. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Prepare Rice:
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add soaked and drained basmati rice along with whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick), and salt to taste. Cook until the rice is 70-80% done. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare Biryani Masala:
- Heat ghee and oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
- Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies, chopped mint leaves, and chopped coriander leaves. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the masala is fragrant.
- Cook Marinated Chicken:
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan with the masala. Cook until the chicken is almost cooked through and the masala thickens. This may take about 10-12 minutes.
- Layering:
- In a separate large heavy-bottomed pot, spread a layer of cooked rice at the bottom.
- Spread a layer of cooked chicken masala over the rice.
- Repeat the layers until all the rice and chicken masala are used up. Ensure that the top layer is rice.
- Garnish:
- Drizzle saffron-infused milk over the top layer of rice.
- Sprinkle fried onions (optional), chopped coriander leaves, and chopped mint leaves over the rice.
- Dum Cooking (Slow Cooking):
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or seal it with aluminum foil to trap the steam.
- Place the pot over low heat and let it cook on dum for about 20-25 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the rice to absorb the aroma of the spices.
- Serve:
- Once done, remove the lid and gently fluff the biryani with a fork.
- Serve hot Chicken Biryani with raita, pickle, or salad.