Chicken Biryani - The Venna Way

Chicken Biryani

Biryani is one such dish that every Hyderabadi LOVES. And I am no different. My taste buds for biryani are heavily influenced by my mom’s biryani. Wherever I eat it, I tend to compare it with what mom makes. And sad to say, I was disappointed almost everywhere. The famous joints in Hyderabad do have awesome biryani, but my taste buds didn't quite seem to like it. Then I thought, let me try making biryani at home. But the very word ‘BIRYANI’ made me jittery. Cooking biryani was like learning rocket science.

After putting my guts together and taking inputs from mom and many other renowned chefs (thanks to the internet), I got in to the battle field and tried different recipes until I felt ‘YES, THIS is biryani’. I finally succeeded after a couple of attempts and today I can confidently say that I know how to make Biryani :)

Below is my recipe. Hope it works wonders for you as well!

Happy Cooking! :)

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 1/2 kg

Basmati Rice - 4 cups

Coriander Leaves - 1 cup, chopped

Mint Leaves - 3/4 cup to 1 cup, chopped

Salt - 2 tsp or as per taste

Saffron - 1/2 tsp, soaked in 1/4 cup milk

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Bay Leaves – 2 or 3 large leaves

Cinnamon – 1 stick

Cloves – 4 to 5

Cardamom – 5 to 6

Whole Black Pepper – 7 to 8

Star Anise – 3

For the Marinade:

Thick Curd - 4 cups, beaten smooth

Green Chilies - 2 tbsp, chopped

Curry Leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped

Garlic - 2 tsp, ground

Ginger - 2 tsp, ground

Salt - 3 tsp

Chili Powder - 3 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 sliced and fried

Oil – 3 to 4 tbsp

For Garnish:

Onion - 1, sliced and fried

Method:

1. Soak Basmati rice in water for about 20 minutes.

2. Clean the chicken thoroughly and dice it in to medium to big pieces.

3. Prepare the marinade by mixing curd, chopped green chilies and curry leaves, ground

ginger and garlic, chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, fried onion slices, oil and salt to taste.

4. Rub the above mixture on to the chicken thoroughly and keep aside for about 30 - 45 minutes.

5. Put all the whole spices – Bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and star anise, in a muslin cloth and tie it.

6. Cook the soaked rice in an open pan until 70% cooked. Add the muslin bag and ghee in to the rice while it cooks.

7. Once the rice is 70 % cooked, drain the excess water and let it cool.

8. Take a deep, wide cooking pot. Take half of the marinated chicken and layer the bottom of the pot.

9. Sprinkle chopped coriander and mint leaves along with the fried chopped onion slices.

10. Now, take half of the rice and layer it on top of the chicken, followed by sprinkling chopped coriander and mint leaves along with the fried onion slices.

11. Place another layer of chicken on top of rice. Again put some coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onion slices.

12. Take the rest of the rice and layer it on top of the chicken. Garnish the top with saffron milk and the remaining coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onion slices.

13. Add a little ghee and Cover pan with a lid and seal the edges with flour paste.

14. Cook on medium to low heat for 25 – 30 minutes.

15. Take the pot off the flame, mix all the contents carefully (make sure not to mash the rice) and serve hot with Mirchi ka Salan or Raita.