Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani recipe

Prep time:-  1 hour
Prep time:-  1 hour
Total time:- 1 hour 45 mins
Ingredients (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 500 gms Basmati Rice
• 500 gms Onion chopped
• 250 gms Tomatoes chopped
• 200 gms Potatoes chopped
• 250 gms Yogurt
• 4 Tejpata Leaves (Bay Leaf)
• 7 to 8 Cloves
• 6 to 7 Sweet Spice
• 4 to 5 Green Cardamom
• 4 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 Mace (Javitri)
• 12 to 14 Pepper corn (Kalimiri)
• 1 tbsp Shahi Jeera
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 tbsp Shaan Biryani Masala
• ½ t/s Red Chili Powder
• ½ tbsp Coriander Seeds powder
• 3 to 4 Strands or Mint Leaves
• 2 to 3 Strands of Coriander Leaves
• 3 Green Chilies
• 1 t/s Turmeric
• 4 tbsp Ghee Or Oil
• 2 strands of Saffron mixed with warm milk Or 1 tbsp Food Color
• Salt as per taste
• Marination:500 gms Chicken
• 4 tbsp Yogurt
• 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• Salt as per taste
• Garnishing:1 Onion juliennes
• Few Coriander leaves

Instructions:-

• Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste for about 1 hour. Keep it aside. in the meanwhile we will make rice.
• First take a big wok or vessel. Add water with few spices ( 1 bayleaf, 2 inch Cinnamon stick, 3 green Cardamom, 1 Mace, 4 Cloves, 4 to 5 Pepper corn). Boil the water with all these garam masala. Take water as required to make the basmati rice.
• Please note you just have to par boil the rice (half cook). Don't cook the rice completely. Remove from fire once the rice is half cooked.
• Strain the water and keep the rice aside.
• For Garnishing: Take some oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion till dark brown and crispy. Chop coriander leaves and keep it aside.
• Grind Mint Leaves, Green Chilies and Coriander leaves in the processor.
• Add little water if requires. Keep this green paste aside.
• Please keep the gas flame on low mode. Now take a big wok or vessel.
• Add ghee to it.
• Saute 3 Bay leaves, shahi jeera, rest of cloves, pepper corn, cinnamon and green cardamom.
• After about 2 mins add chopped Onion to it. Fry them until they are dark brown in color but on low flame.
• Now add ginger garlic paste to it. Stir for some time.
• Add the green paste as well. Stir for a minute more. Now add shaan biryani garam masala, coriander seed powder, turmeric, red chili powder. Combine all of them well. It is time to add tomatoes and few coriander leaves.
• Saute tomatoes for 1 more minute.
• Add yogurt and combine all of them well. Let it cook for a minute.
• Put potatoes to them. Let it again cook for a minute more.
• Finally add marinated chicken along with all yogurt. Let it cook for about 5 mins. Please don't boil the chicken completely. Just half cook the chicken. Switch off the gas.
• Now we will arrange layers for the biryani. Take another big vessel.
• Now add half of the above chicken gravy to it.
• Gently spread half of the par boiled rice to it. Sprinkle some saffron mixed with warm milk Or if using food color to the rice along with some ghee on it.
• Now again spread the rest of chicken gray on the rice.
• Finally spread the rest of par boiled rice on it. Again top the rice with ghee and rest of saffron mixed with warm milk or food color.
• Place it on low heat. Keep a large heavy bottomed tava or pan on the gas. Now place the stacked layers of biryani vessel on the heavy bottomed pan .
• Now cover with a lid. Also you could cover with dough covering the edges of the vessel. But We have chosen to cover with a lid and than placing a grinding stone on it. If you don't have a grinding stone you could place any heavy object which is fire proof on the lid. This process is important to give dum (pressure) to the biryani.
• Roughly about 20 -25 mins your Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is ready.
• Switch off the gas and keep it on low mode for the entire process of making Biryani. Serve hot with salad or raita.
• Garnish your Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani with fried onion and coriander leaves.