Haydrabadi Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

You will need:For marinating Chicken:
2 lb chicken
1 cup curd
salt as reqd
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powderFor rice:
3 cups rice
4.5 cups water
3 cardomom
5 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
3 star anise
1 tsp black cumin seeds
salt for taste
3 tbsp oilFor Chicken Gravy:
Marinated Chicken
2 red onions
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 green chillies
1 tsp chilli powder
½ bunch of mint leaves
½ bunch of coriander leaves(cilantro)
3 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp oilIngredients to grind:
1½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ cup cashew nuts
1 tsp khus khus (kasa kasa in Tamil)
½ tomato
5 tsp grated coconutFor garnish:
¼ cup cashew nuts
¼ cup raisins
2 tbsp ghee

Procedure:

Step 1:Marinate the chicken:Cut the pieces into desired shapes and marinate chicken with curd, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt. Allow it to marinate for min 5 hours inside refrigerator.

Step 2:For making rice:In a rice cooker add rice along with water and allow it to soak for 1 hour. After 1 heat heat another pan and add oil to it. Add all spices under For rice (Cardamom, cinnamon, black cumin, cloves and star anise. Then add this to the rice and allow it to cook until its done in the rice cooker. After that use a fork to release the heat from the rice. Be careful not to break the rice. Allow it to cool for half an hour.

Step 3:To grind:Grind dry ingredients first. ie, cashew nuts, khus khus, coriander powder and cumin powder. When its finely powdered add grated coconut and grind it. Finally add tomato and grind it to form a paste. Keep it aside.

Step 4:For chicken Gravy:Heat oil and ghee in a pan. Add green chillies, mint leaves and coriander leaves to it and saute it for 3 mins. Now add onions to it. Saute it till it become light brown color. Now add ginger garlic paste to it and saute it till it get rid off the raw smell. Now add marinated chicken and chili powder to it and close with a lid. Allow the chicken to cook for 5 to 10 mins. Now add the ground masala to it and saute it for 3 mins.

Step 5:For making Biryani:Take one big pan and start layering. Put some rice and then the chicken gravy and then the rice and then the chicken gravy.Step 6:For garnishing:Heat ghee in a pan. Add cashew nuts and saute it for 2 mins. Then add the raisins and saute it till it get balloon structure.

Step 7:Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon. Serve it with chicken gravy..

Enjoy Hyderabadi chicken biryani!!!.

Hint:1. You can increase spiciness according to your taste bud.

2. To get different colors in the biryani, you have to mix ½ tsp color with 2 tsp milk. Then using a spoon just pour it on top of the biryani after layering the biryani. Leave it undisturbed for few mins. Then mix it. So that the color with stick only to few rice and it wont make the whole biryani same color. I used orange food color.