Biryani  is an aromatic rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.It can be compared to mixing a curry, later combining it with semi-cooked rice separately. This dish is especially popular throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices,basati rice,meat/chicken/prawn or fish. Vegetables and egg version of Biriyani is also availble.

The word ‘Biryani‘ is derived from a Persian word, birian, which means fried before cooking. It is one of the most popular dishes, which has acquired a place for itself in South Asian cuisine.

Types of Biryani

There are many types of biryani, whose names are often based on their region of origin. For example, Sindhi biryani developed in the Sindh region of what is now Pakistan, and Hyderabadi biryani developed in the city of Hyderabad in South India, Malabar biryani from the region of Malabar in South India, Lucknow biryani and so on.

My version of Biryani

I love any version of biryani from extremely spicy Hyderabadi biryani to mildly spiced aromatic Kolkata chicken biryani with potatoes. I also love to cook them for my family and friends. Though I tried so many variations of biryani, today I am sharing my most favourite version of chicken biryani that is always a hit and crowd pleasure to any of my gets together. I cook the chicken first with the spices and yoghurt and they put them in steam(dum) with pre-cooked rice and potatoes.It’s not very complicated and long process to make my version of biryani.You can also bake them instead of steaming in stove top. I am sharing both the method and both are equally delicious.

Recipe

• Preparation time: 60 min
• Cooking time: 90 min
• Serves: 10
• Difficulty level: medium

Ingredients

• 2 kg Chicken (bone in)
• 2 kg long grain basmati Rice
• 3 chopped Tomatoes
• 3 chopped Onions + 3 more for beresta
• 3 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 +1/2 cup Yoghurt
• 1 cup Biryani masala(homemade or store bought)
• 3-4 Alu bukhara(dry prunes)
• Salt as per taste
• 2 cups(approximately) Cooking oil
• 4 big Potatoes
• 1 Lemon
• 1 bunch Mint leaves
• 8-10 Saffron strands soaked in 3 tablespoon warm Milk
• 4-5 tablespoon Ghee
• 3 whole black Cardamom
• 2-3 (1 inch) piece Cinnamon stick
• 5-6 Cloves
• 5-6 green Cardamom
• 5-6 black Pepper corns
• Few drops of Biryani essence
• 1 pinch Saffron colour
• For the biryani cover or parda
• 2 cups All purpose flour
• 1/4 th teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Biryani masala
• 1 teaspoon Ghee + more to brush on the top
• For homemade Biryani masala
• 4 tablespoon Coriander powder
• 5-6 dry red Chillies
• 2 tablespoon Cumin seeds
• 2 inch size Cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon Caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon black Pepper corns
• 1 tablespoon Mustard seeds
• 2 black Cardamom (only seeds)
• 4 green Cardamom
• 1 small Javetri
• 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg powder
• 1 tablespoon Mango powder
• 1/4 th teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 3-4 Bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon Salt

Steps

Dry roast all the whole spices for biryani masala and then grind with other spice powder as mentioned in the ingredient section of biryani masala.It’s not necessary to make fine powder. Little coarse powder is better.

Clean and cut chicken into medium pieces.

Cut 3 onions into thin slices for beresta.

Heat 2 cups of cooking oil in a broad pan and deep fry onions into light golden brown. Transfer to a kitchen towel.

Clean and prick the potatoes and boil them in water. I microwaved them for 8 minutes.

Peel and cut each potato into 4 halves.

Fry them in the same oil where onions are fried to light golden brown.

Transfer to a dish.

Now transfer the remaining oil to a big heavy bottomed saucepan and add in 3 chopped onions. Add oil if necessary.

Saute for 5-6 minutes and then add in 3 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.

Saute for a minute and then add in 3 chopped tomatoes.

Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes and then add in the chicken pieces.

Stir and cook for 5 minutes more and then add in previously prepared biryani masala along with whole garam masalas like black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black peppers.

Mix everything well with a spatula and cook for 5 minutes.

Then add in 1+1/2 cup of yoghurt. Also add alu bukhara.

Again mix well, add 1 cup of water, cover and cook in medium heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken cooks completely.

In the mean time clean and soak 2 kg of long grain basmati rice for atleast 1/2 an hour.

Also soak saffron in warm milk.

When chicken cooks completely remove from heat. Don’t completely dry up the gravy.

For the rice, cook them in boiling water with juice from 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of salt. Drain when rice cooks 70%.

Now place some of fried potatoes over the chicken followed by a layer of cooked rice.

Completely cover the chicken with half of the cooked chicken. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of melted ghee, 1 tablespoon of saffron soaked milk, a handful of fried onion, rest of the fried potatoes and a handful of mint leaves. I have shown the steps in the following pictures.

Now make the second layer of rice with the remaining cooked rice and sprinkle all the ingredients as before. Additionally add in few drops of biryani essence. Also rub some cooked rice with saffron colour and sprinkle on the top.

Cover first with aluminium foil and then with a lid.

Place the saucepan on stove top and cook in medium high heat for 10 minutes and then in low heat for about 20 -25 minutes.

After 25 minutes remove the cover, stir very carefully to so that everything mixes evenly. Aromatic biryani is ready now to serve. Serve with salad an raita.

You can make this biryani with a little different method if you like to serve them in individual portion. For that you have to follow all the steps as mentioned above upto making chicken and rice.

When both chicken and rice are done, take a individual serving earthen pot and place some chicken with gravy along with 1-2 pieces of fried potato.

Next make a layer of 70% done rice.

Now sprinkle melted ghee, saffron soaked milk, fried onion, mint leaves and rice rubbed with saffron colour .

For the cover take maida/all purpose flour, salt biryani masala and ghee. Mix together and make a dough with water.

Roll a lemon size ball from the dough to make a thin roti.

Cover the biryani bowl with the roti and seal it properly.

Brush little ghee on the top and bake the pot in pre heated oven for 15 minutes at 180 degree C.

Reduce the heat to 150 degree and bake for another 10 minutes. Your scrumptious biryani is ready now.

With a knife cut the edges to uncover and serve with salad and raita.