Chicken Biryani

Kerala Chicken Biryani

Biryani got its name from the Iranian word “birian”, meaning “fried before cooking”. So we can believe that it originated from Iran (Persia). Traditionally, Biryani was prepared with rice and leg pieces of goat. Now people are make this dish with chicken, beef, egg, fish etc. Here you can enjoy a Kerala chicken biryani.

Ingredients

• Chicken pieces - 1 kg
• Biryani rice (ബിരിയാണി അരി) - 4 Cups
• Water (വെള്ളം) - 8 cups
• Ghee (നെയ്യ്) - 3 Table spoon
• Onion (സവോള) - 4 Nos (medium size)
• Ginger (ഇഞ്ചി) - 2 inch piece
• Garlic (വെളുത്തുള്ളി) - 6 Cloves
• Green chilli (പച്ചമുളക്) - 4 Nos
• Tomato (തക്കാളി) - 2 Nos
• Yogurt / Curd (തൈര്) - ½ Cup
• Cashew nut (കശുവണ്ടി) - 15 Nos
• Raisins (ഉണക്ക മുന്തിരി) - 15 Nos
• Kashmiri Chilli powder (കാശ്മീരി മുളകുപൊടി) - 1½ Table spoon
• Coriander powder (മല്ലിപ്പൊടി) - 3 Table Spoon
• Turmeric powder (മഞ്ഞള്‍പൊടി) - 1 Pinch
• Garam Masala (ഗരം മസാല) - 1 Tea spoon
• Cinnamon (കറുവാപ്പട്ട) - 3 Piece
• Clove (ഗ്രാമ്പു) - 4 Nos
• Cardamom (ഏലക്കാ) - 3 Nos
• Pepper (കുരുമുളക്) - 8 Nos
• Coriander leaves (മല്ലി ഇല) - 4 Sprigs
• Mint / Pudina leaves (പുതിന ഇല) - 5 Leaves
• Pineapple (chopped) - ½ Cup
• Coconut Oil (വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ) - 3 Table Spoon
• Salt (ഉപ്പ്) – to taste

Method

Step 1

Wash rice, soak in water for 30 minutes and drain it well.

Step 2

Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli into a paste. Add curd and salt to this paste. Marinate chicken pieces with this paste for minimum 30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat 1 table spoon ghee in a cooking vessel, fry cashew nut, raisins and 1 finely sliced onion separately till golden brown and keep aside (while frying onions add ½ tea spoon sugar so that the fried onions remain crisp throughout).

Step 4

Heat 3 table spoon coconut oil in the same vessel, put remaining 3 finely sliced onions and stir until golden brown. Add sliced tomatoes and salt to it and saute till done. Reduce the flame, add chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders into the vessel and stir it for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Add marinated chicken pieces to this and mix it well. Cook it in a low flame, as the done chicken should contain a thick gravy. Taste for salt.

Step 6

Heat 1 table spoon of ghee in another cooking vessel, put cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & pepper and stir it. Put rice and stir for 1 minute. Pour 8 cups of water and salt as needed, cook it covered on a low flame. Remove from the flame when it is 90% cooked so that the rice does not stick together.

Step 7

Spread evenly 1 table spoon of ghee in a vessel and layer it with rice and cooked chicken. Arrange 4 layers with rice and chicken. Make sure the bottom layer should be cooked chicken and top layer should be rice. Garnish each layer with fried onion, cashews, raisins, pineapple, finely chopped coriander and mint (pudina) leaves. Pour 1 table spoon Ghee on the top. Cover the vessel.

Step 8

Heat a heavy tawa, put the biryani vessel on the tawa and heat it in a very low flame for 15 minutes. Turn off the flame and let it unopened for another 10 minutes.

Step 9

Serve chicken biryani hot with salad, pappad, lime pickle and lemon tea.

Tips:

1) To avoid the raw odour of chicken, 1 table spoon of vinegar or lemon juice can be used, when cleaning the chicken.

2) Instead of cooking it on a heavy tawa, you can also cook it in a pre-heated oven.