Kerala Biriyani

Tasty, Yummy and Delicious Chicken Biriyani with gravy.

Ingredients :-

• Basmati Rice – 2cups
• Chicken – 3pounds (1 ½ Kilo)
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder – 3 teaspoons
• Cinnamon – 10 pieces
• Clove – 10
• Elaichi - 8
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 8
• Mint leaves – 2-3 stems
• Coriander Leaves- 2-3 stems
• Cashews - 20
• Raisins - 15
• Water
• Ghee/Oil/Butter – See recipe for quantity
• Curd – 3 teaspoons
• Lemon juice – 5-6 drops
• Rose Essence – 1 teaspoon
• Yellow color powder– a pinch
• Tomatoes – 3
• Onions – 3 (Big)

Preparation Method :

1. Soak Rice in water and keep for an hour.
2. Chicken:- Cut it into big pieces. I make 2 inches piece. Chicken leg etc doesn’t need to be cut.
3. Just make some slits on the piece, so that masala will go in.
4. For frying Chicken,Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon,
5. Coriander Powder-1 ½ teaspoon,
6. Turmeric powder-little,
7. black pepper – little,
8. Garlic-Ginger paste –1/2 teaspoon,
9. masalapowder- little for taste (I make masalapwdr at home – with Cinnamon, elaichi, Clove).
10. Mix all this with few (5-6) drops of lemon juice, and chicken and keep for (approximately) an hour.
11. Fry this in oil. Don’t keep the chicken pieces very hard by frying for long time.
12. Purpose of doing this is to make the pieces, little stronger, so that it will not become small pieces, while making curry.
13. Also, chicken will be having some more cooking time while making curry for Biriyani.
14. For making Rice:- Drain water from rice and keep it aside.
15. Warm a thick bottom Vessel (vessel to prepare rice), and when all the water is gone, put 2-3 teaspoons of ghee.
16. When it is hot, put pieces of cinnamon, clove and elaichi (3-4 pieces of each),
17. After a little while, put the drained rice into it, and fry for some time.
18. I do it for about 10 minutes.
19. Then pour water to it. For 1cup, I use 1 3/4 cup of water.
20. Add some yellow color to it.
21. Add Salt to taste.
22. Put on high heat, and cover with a lid.
23. After a while when water is not seen, bottom rice can get burnt.
24. So, then open the lid, and mix the rice.
25. After water is not seen, don’t keep it on stove for long time.
26. If you think, the rice is cooked, just switch off the stove, and keep it closed for a while (about 30mts).
27. It is ok to switch off the stove even before the rice is completely cooked.
28. Because it will get some cook time while baking. 
29. For making Biriyani Gravy:- Heat a vessel, and add, some oil or ghee (you can mix ghee and oil too)
30. When it is hot add ½ teaspoon of Ginger Garlic paste, and 2-3 cut green chillies.
31. Sautee it for sometime, and then add cut onions (3 big onions) to it.
32. Sautee it, and when it is nicely done, add ½ teaspoon
33. Coriander Powder-1 ½ teaspoon
34. Turmeric powder-little
35. black pepper – little
36. masalapowder- little for taste.
37. Add Salt to taste.
38. Sautee that again.
39. After a while, add 3 teaspoons of curd to it. Mix it well.
40. Then add Fried chicken pieces to it.
41. Cover and cook for sometime (10 mts) .
42. Cut 3 tomatoes (big pieces) and add to this.
43. Cover and cook. Stir in between.
44. When the gravy will be like a paste.
45. It should not be dry.
46. But it should not be watery.
47. Check Salt and add more, if needed.
48. Fry Raisins, Cashews, Cilantro, Mint leaves etc in Ghee and keep aside.
49. Best is to fry this separate.
50. But For easiness I do all in one pan.
51. First Raisin, when it is big balls, add cashew to it.
52. when cashew is brown, take both out.
53. Then add Leaves to it and fry.
54. If Mint leaves are not there, you can just use Cilantro (I do that most of the time).
55. If you want to reduce amount of ghee used.
56. Don’t do this step.
57. Add Cashew, Raisin, and leaves for baking as given on the next step, without frying in Ghee.
58. Baking Biriyani:- You can use a big wide vessel coat it with Ghee or butter,
59. and make layers as described in the step above.
60. Cover it with a lid.
61. Heat the filled Vessel in low flame for approx 20-25 minutes.
62. Check the bottom of the Vessel in between with a spoon or something, to make sure it is not getting burnt.
63. If it is getting burnt reduce the heat.
64. Serving:- Take portions from the baked Biriyani, so that a serving plate will have both rice, and chicken with masala.
65. This goes well with Lime Pickle and raita.

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