Chicken Biryani

Derived from the Persian word 'beryan' - roasted, Biryani has many flavors depending on the region. This rice dish is closely related to Rice Pilaf - but more heavily spiced. Mounds of finely chopped large onions roasted in clarified butter - ghee as it is called in India, are ground along with roasted spices for Moghal Biryani. Awadhi Biryani was the choice of food for the Moghal emperors who laced the rice with Saffron and used Yoghurt to marinate and soften the lamb.

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, chicken thighs
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 onion thinly sliced and browned
• 1 grated ginger
• 4 tablespoons yogurt
• Few cardamom pods and cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili
• 1 teaspoon saffron (dissolved in milk)
• Vegetable oil
• Mint leaves
• Salt

Method

Heat oil and add the chicken, some cardamom pods, cloves, salt, chili pepper, cinnamon and turmeric. Add yogurt to the mix. Then mix the onion slices, mint leaves and ginger. Keep aside some of the browned onions. Stir well for nearly 15 minutes till the chicken is cooked through. Boil the rice in a separate pot with salt till par-cooked. Drain the rice, keeping the boiling water for later use. In a separate small pot, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and add some of the boiling water. In an ovenproof dish, put some of the rice, then the chicken along with a little ground cardamom and chili. Add another layer of rice and pour some water with saffron then another layer of rice and browned onions. Cover the dish with foil then with a heavy lid and then place in oven on high heat for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Tips

Making a biryani is a laborious time-consuming process, from marinating to layering and the dum pukht method. But it is worth the effort! The dum cooking method involves cooking the rice dish in its own heat. The pan is sealed with sticky dough. Add kewra for a rich flavor.