Monday, 15 January 2018

Chicken Biryani, the most famous dish of India. It is difficult to find an Indian who does not like Biryani, either veg or non veg. In India there are different gharanas (style) of this Mughlai dish - Hyderabadi Biryani, Lakhnowi Biryani, Kolkata Biryani, Konkani Biryani. Being  a Bengali, I love Kolkata Biryani the most. The aroma of Kewra water, mitha ator always make me hungry. And of course the use of potato J. But I stayed in Hyderabad for some years, so Hyderabadi Biryani is also very close to my heart. In Hyderabad also there are many styles of Biryani - spicy and non spicy like the famous Paradise.

Personally, me and my husband are so fond of Biryani that we can eat it any time. But as I am currently staying out of country, it is very difficult to get tasty yummy Biryani like Kolkata or Hyderabad. I tried making Biryani quite a lot of time with many recipes that I got from my mother, friends or from other numerous sources. But the current version of my recipe is so easy yet tasty that it has made it a instant hit at home and party that almost every friend who tasted this has asked for the recipe. This recipe is so easy and time saving that anyone can try this. I would call this a bachelors recipe.
Easy chicken biryani recipe
Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

Chicken - 4/5 big pieces
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Sliced onion - 1 big
Chopped onion - 1 medium
Ginger-garlic paste -1tbsp
Yogurt - 2tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1tsp
Chopped tomato - 1 small
Biriyani masala - 3 tbsp
Salt
Turmaric powder - 1tsp
Chilli powder - 2tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 1cup
Yellow colour - 1 pinch
Cloves - 4/5
Cardamom - 4/5
Cinnamon - 4/5
Caraway seeds - 1tsp
Oil - 1 cup
Ghee - 1tsp
Rose water - 2 tsp
Kewra water - 2 tsp

Recipe:

Marinate the chicken with 1 tbsp Biriyani masala,1 tbsp yogurt, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste and 1tsp chilli powder, garam masala powder for 1 hour and keep aside.
Cook the rice with all whole spices and ghee and a pinch of salt in a handi, cook till 80% and drain out the water with a strainer.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the onion slices till golden brown and keep in the absorbent paper to soak out extra oil.
Now take a heavy bottom pot and put the oil in which you fried the onion.
Now put chopped onion and fry it till it becomes transparent. Then add  remaining ginger garlic paste and fry it for 1 minute.
Add marinated chicken and stir it.
Add remaining yogurt and chilli powder, chopped tomato, turmaric powder and salt. Add extra salt at this stage which will be adjusted with rice later. No need to add salt in the rice later.
Mix it very well and add remaining Biriyani masala and mix.
Add 1 tbsp coriander leaves and add little water to cook the chicken till soft.
In the mean time, sprinkle some yellow colour in the rice and shake the handi with lid on, as a result rice will be coloured little yellow and little white.
When the chicken is soft and gravy is thick and almost dry, switch off the gas.
Now divide the chicken in 2 portions and keep one portion in the same pot.
At the time of layering, add rice to cover the chicken and sprinkle some beresta or fried onion, chopped coriander leaves and both types of water 1tsp each.
Repeat the same layering method with chicken, rice, fried onion- coriander leaves-rose and kewra water.
Now take foil paper and cover the pot tightly and put a heavy lid.
Lastly, keep this pot again on gas in extremely low flame for 5 minutes.

Your Biriyani is now ready. Enjoy your meal with raita or salad.