Chicken Biryani

This is my easy biryani recipe and has always been a favourite with my guests. I marinate the chicken with all the required ingredients and leave it overnight in the fridge but it works well even if it is marinated for an hour. The more the merrier though.If I have too many items to cook, then I make the rice beforehand and keep. But, freshly cooked one is always the best. I use either chicken thighs or chicken legs to ensure uniformity in cooking time.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 8 Chicken thighs on the bone
2. 4 potatoes peeled and cut into wedge
3. 4tablespoons of My onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilli paste(in my blog).
4. 100 to 150 gms of yogurt
5. Juice of one lemon
6. 1 tsp of coriander powder
7. 1 tablespoonful of garam masala powder
8. 1/2 tablespoon of red chilli powder (to taste)
9. 1 tablespoon of haldi powder
10. 1 tsp of kasoori methi powder
11. Salt to taste
12. 2 tbsps of olive oil
13. 2 tbsps of ghee
14. Saffron strands soaked in 50 ml of warm milk
15. Freshly plucked mint leaves
16. Coriander leaves finely chopped
17. Green chillies slit diagonally
18. Deep fried crisp onion slices
19. 2 cups of basmati rice
20. 2 Whole cinnamon sticks,2 bay leaves.

Procedure

1. Wash rice thoroughly, transfer it to a deep pan and soak it in 1 litre of water with 2 tsps of salt, 2 cinnamon sticks and the bay leaves. Keep aside.
2. Take a large bowl. Add ingredient nos. 3 to 12 and mix well. Add chicken and keep aside.
3. Take a thick non stick deep pan and pour the marinated chicken and potatoes and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes.
4. Cover and cook till almost done.
5. Start cooking the rice at the same time as the chicken. It will take 8 minutes approximately because we need the rice half cooked.
6. Drain the rice and once drained, add garam masala powder and ghee and give a gentle mix.
7. Now as soon as the chicken is almost ready simmer the flame to low and scatter deep fried sliced onions, mint leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves.
8. Add the rice on top and top it it with all the toppings that you used in the first layer. Pour the Saffron soaked milk on top.
9. Cover and leave it to cook on very low flame for 15 minutes.
10. Serve hot with a bowl of cooling raita.

Dry fruits can be added while layering to give a richer taste. Masalas are added in larger proportion because if you leave it to marinate overnight, masala seeps into the chicken. Happy eating!