" CHICKEN BIRYANI II " Bajias Cooking

" Chicken Biryani II "
For this recipe we are going to need best quality basmati rice 4½ cups soaked for 1-1½ hours, 2kg fresh chicken, 1cup full yogurt, 1cup full oil, food colouring, 10-12 green cardamoms, 1½ ts full garam masala powder, mace powder ¾ ts, nutmeg powder ¾ ts. fresh coriander, fresh mint, prunes/ aaloo bhukare from Indian/ Pakistani stores, 1 whole lemon. For the spices we are also going to need 1½ ts crushed chillies, 1½ ts coriander powder, 1ts cumin seeds and 1½ ts full salt. 2 inches of ginger piece, 1 whole garlic, 2 medium-large sized onions. For cooking rice we need 3 cloves, cinnamon 2 inches and salt 2tbs full.
To cook the rice in a separate pot add quite a bit of water, add salt, cinnamon and cloves then leave that on one side and start cooking the onions in a different pot. While the onions are being browned, grind the ginger and the garlic in a little bit of water and then chop the fresh mint and coriander. Then in the pot with the water once the water started to boil add the rice to it soaked for 1-1 ½ hours and just let that cook itself. Once the onions are golden brown add the chicken mix it and cover and cook it.
A way to tell if the rice is ready is that it starts moving slowly in the pot and half these rice grains will still have a bit of solid grain in them whereas half of them won’t and that’s when you take the rice out. You don’t have to cook it perfectly because its going to cook again in the rice cooker. Once the rice is done drain it.
When you see the chicken’s water is bit dried add the ginger and the garlic that you ground and mix it. Now add the spices the salt, the chilli, the coriander and the cumin seeds mix it and then add the green cardamoms, mace powder, nutmeg powder and prunes as well. Mix well and then cover and cook it on a md heat. Once the oil starts to separate from the chicken add the fresh green-red chillies mix it and cover and cook for some time and once the chicken is cooked and its water has dried completely, mix it and add the yogurt now and then cook this on a high heat and cook this until the water has completely dried and the has completely separated and cook it until its basically sticking to the meat.
Now add more than half the rice to the rice cooker and layer it with the chicken and add the lemon juice, coriander and the fresh mint. Then add the second layer of rice and try to cover the masala completely and add some food colouring. So once you have layered the rice and the chicken set the rice cooker on cook and just leave it in there for approximately 20 minutes and once 20 mins has passed mix the biryani and its ready to serve.

Ramya Bharath