Shahi Chicken Biryani

Initial Preparation

I have divided this recipe into three parts, cooking the rice, the chicken gravy and finally the layering.

• Keep the ginger garlic paste and the green chilli paste ready.

• Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and marinate with salt and 1 tsp ginger garlic paste for atleast 1/2 an hour before preparing.
• Cut 3 onions into thin slices and on medium heat deep fry them in oil  until they are crispy.  Take care you do not burn them.
• Cut potatoes into wedges and apply salt, Red chilly powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Heat a pan with 5 tbsp. of oil and shallow fry them until they are well cooked.

For cooking the rice

• In a sauce pan boil 1 and 3/4 th cup water and add 1 tsp salt.
• In a pressure cooker pan heat 4 tsp oil and 5 tsp ghee together.
• Add the whole garam masala like 2 bay leaves, 4-5 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 10 peppercorns and 4-5 cloves and 1 mace.
• Sauté the spices for a minute and add cashew nuts.
• Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and 2 pinches of saffron
• Add the washed, soaked and drained rice and sauté for a minute.
• Then add the boiling water and add salt
• Cover and pressure cook until one whistle.(open the cooker lid only when it has completely cooled down)

For the Chicken gravy

• In a pan add oil enough for frying 5 finely chopped onions, fry until evenly browned, then add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 2 tsp coriander-mint-green chilli paste and sauté well.
• Add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
• Add red chilli powder, chicken Masala, turmeric powder and cook covered for 2-3 minutes.
• Once the gravy starts leaving oil add the chicken and  salt to taste and mix well.
• Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and slightly cooked.
• Add the curd and mix well and cook for another 4-5 mins or until the chicken is well cooked
• Then add 2-3 tsp ground dry coconut and garam masala and cook well.For layering the Biryani
• Divide the cooked rice into two equal parts.
• In a deep bottom greased pan, add half of the chicken, then some of the fried onion some fried potatoes and sprinkle some garam masala .
• Then add one layer of  rice.
• Again add some fried onion and garam masala.
• Then add the remaining chicken and again the layer of fried onions and garam masala.
• Now add the second layer of rice and spread evenly.
• On the top add  fried onions, garam masala , fried potatoes and some coriander and mint on top.
• Cover  the pan with aluminium foil and a tight cover.
• On a slow flame heat a tawa or a flat pan.
• Place the biryani pot on the tawa and cook on a slow flame for 10 minutes.
• After 10 mins switch of the flame and keep it covered for another 10 minutes.
• While serving it scoop it right till the bottom of the pan so as to get in all the layers of the biryani.
• Serve hot with Onion, lemon and raita on the side.

Additional Tips:

1. The Malwani Masala that is used for this recipe  is blend of dried red chillies and garam masala. It is easily available in any of the spice stores under various brand names. I use home made Malwani Masala. In case you do not find it, you may alternatively use Deggi Mirch powder + garam Masala ( 2:1 Proportion)
2. In this recipe I directly cooked rice in the pressure cooker to speed up the process. However you may choose whichever method is convenient for you.

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