Chicken Biryani

Serving for - 2-3

Ingredients

Chicken - 400 gm (Cut into big sized pieces and wash into warm water.)

Onions - 2 (Cut into thin slices.)

Ginger and Garlic - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Green chilies - 2

Yogurt - 3/4 cup

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

pinch of asafoetida

Bay leaf - 1

Some cilantro - finely chopped

Salt to taste

Spices to dry roast and grind

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Dried red chilies - 5

Black peppercorns - 10-12

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Cloves - 4-5

Green cardamom - 2

Bay leaf - 1

Dry roast all above spices on low heat till nice aroma starts to come out. It will take around 4-5 minutes. Let them cool down little bit. Grind them coarsely and Keep it aside.

Rice for Biryani

Rice - 1 and half cup (Soak rice for about half hour.)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Green cardamom - 4

Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Procedure

Fried Onions

• Heat oil in a pan. Slice the onions very thin and deep fry them in batches. Keep the heat medium and fry onions till nice brown color. Drain them on the kitchen towel.

Chicken Gravy

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, ginger-garlic, green chilies and pinch of asafoetida. Saute till raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away. 
• Add chicken pieces, ground spice powder and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes. 
• Add yogurt and chopped cilantro. Let the chicken cook for 6-8 minutes till moisture evaporates. Make sure the gravy is not watery.

Rice for Biryani

• Boil 5 cups of water in a big vessel. Once the water comes to boil, add cumin seeds, green cardamom, butter and salt to taste. Mix well and add soaked rice. Let the rice cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir continuously so that rice cooks evenly. Cook till it is 3/4th done. Switch off the heat and strain the rice. 

Layering of Biryani

• Take a baking pan and grease with butter. Make a first layer with chicken gravy. Sprinkle some fried onions, chopped cilantro, lime juice and garam masala. Complete the second layer with rice. Press the rice little bit to make even layer. Again sprinkle some fried onions, cilantro, lime juice and garam masala. Pour some ghee/clarified butter on top.
• Cover it with aluminium foil. Make sure you seal all the edges of pan. Bake the biryani in a oven for about 35-40 minutes on 250 degrees F.

• Remove biryani from oven and mix over rice gently with spatula. Serve hot with any raitha.