Hyderabadi chicken Biryani

It was my hubby's birthday yesterday and I wanted to make a different biryani this time. I have never tried making a hyderabadi biryani although we have had this several times. I got this recipe form my friend. She usually makes  the kacha biryani but i was not brave enough to try this yesterday. Didnt want to spoil hubby's birthday by giving him an experimental dish. But next time for sure I will try the kacha biryani.

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:

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  2 lbs chicken cut into medium size pieces
  
  
  
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  3/4 cup of yogurt
  
  
  
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  2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  
  
  
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  11/2- 2 tbsp chillie powder
  
  
  
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  2- tsp corriander powder
  
  
  
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  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  
  
  
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  1/2 tsp cumin powder
  
  
  
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  1 cup chopped mint leaves
  
  
  
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  1 cup chopped corriander leaves
  
  
  
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  4-5 green chillies {always add chillies according to ur taste}
  
  
  
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  1 tbsp lime juice
  
  
  

Garam masala powder

                Grind the following :-

• 
  
          6 Pepper Corns
  
  
  
•         6 Cloves 
•         2 black Cardamom
•        ½ tsp Sahajeera or Black Cumin 
•        1” Cinnamon Stick     
•        1 bay leaf
•        1 tbsp javeri [mace]
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp biryani mix  [I use eastern biryani masala,just to make up for any spices missing]

For making the gravy

•  6 medium onion thinly sliced.
• oil for frying. 

For cooking the rice

• 3 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 30 minutes 
• 5 Cardamoms
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Aniseed
• 1 tsp Sahajeera
• 1 green chillie slit
• 1 tbsp of Oil
• salt to taste [I add 2 -3tbsp]
• 4 cups water.

For garnish

• 1/2 tsp saffron soaked in milk or Red food color.
• 1/2 cup fried onion
• fried cashewnuts and raisins

METHOD

For gravy

• Mix all the ingredients of the marinade above and keep it aside for an hr.
• In a heavy bottomed pan add oil and cook the sliced onions until they are very soft.
• Add the chicken marinade into the cooked onion and mix well.
• Cook the chicken in a medium heat till the chicken is cooked.Dont add any water coz we will have the water from the yogurt and the chicken.
• Check for salt. Once chicken is cooked remove from flame and keep aside.

For rice.

• While the chicken is being cooked.Wash the rice and strain all of the excess water
• Add all the spices,chilie salt and oil into the water and bring it to boil in a big vessel.
• Once the water starts to boil,add the rice and cook it till it is 3/4 th done.Dont overcook the rice.What I usually do is after adding the rice I wait till it boils well. i.e rice should roll over in boiling water. Drain and keep the rice aside.

For layering:

• Divide the rice into 2 parts.
• Greese a large thick bottomed ovenproof vessel with oil. Layer one batch of rice.
• Add the chicken masala over this.
• Add the next layer of rice on top of the biriyani masala. Sprinkle the fried onions,saffron or red color, and abt 2 tbsp oil on top.
• Cover the vessel and place it in a preheated oven of 400 F for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven 
• while serving mix the layers. Garnish with nuts and raisins.