Biryani in its most fundamental form, is a layered rice dish made with Indian spices, rice, fresh herbs, and usually some type of protein, such as meat, cheese, or eggs. It is traditionally assembled in a clay pot, sealed with dough, and cooked for hours over a low flame. The original biryani recipes always include meat, but the modern variations include vegetables, paneer, and other sources of protein.
Marination ingredients:
- 1 lb Chicken
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 ¼ tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- ½ to 1 tablespoon garam masala (or biryani masala)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cooking chicken ingredients:
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 green cardamoms
- 6 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon piece
- 1 star anise
- ¾ teaspoon of Shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
- 1 strand mace
Directions:
- Mix all the marination ingredients to marinate the chicken. Then cover it and set it aside for 1 hour. You can also rest it overnight in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl add 2 cups of Basmati rice and rinse it at least thrice. Drain and soak the fresh water for 30 mins.
- Heat ghee or oil in a cooking pot and add the below spices and the cooking chicken ingredients into it and mix it well.
- Add thinly sliced onions. On a medium heat, fry them stirring often until they reach light brown color.
- Add marinated chicken & saute until it becomes pale for 5 minutes.
- Check if the chicken is cooked by pricing with a fork. It has to be just cooked and not overdone.
- Taste test it and add more salt if needed.
- Then add these required ingredients, ¼ cup of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- Mix everything well and spread it evenly in a single layer.
- Then layer the drained rice all over the chicken.
- In a separate pot add 3 cups of water and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and stir it well. Make sure the water is warm.
- Then pour those 3 cups of water into the rice and chicken pot.
- Finally, cover the pot and cook it on a medium heat until the rice is completely cooked.
