Biriyani

1. Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients: Chicken - 1.5 kg Onion, Sliced - 2 Garlic, Crushed - 4 cloves Ginger, ground - 3" piece Yogurt - 1/4 Cup Tomatoes, chopped - 1.5 Whole cardamom, green - 6 Whole cardamom, black - 4 Black cumin seeds - 1 tbsp Cloves - 6 Black pepper - 1 tbsp Bay leaves - 4 Cinnamon stick - 2 1" pieces Corriander powder - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Pepper - 1/2-1 tsp Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp Ground mace - 1 tsp Fresh corriander, chopped - 1/4 Cup Green chillies, chopped - 6 Lemon Juice - 1 Lemon Oil - 1/4 Cup Saffron - 1 tbsp, dissolved in hot milk Rice - 2.5 Cups

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions. Cook on medium-low heat till golden brown.

2. Cut the chicken into small pieces of 1-2 inch squares.

3. Remove onions to a plate. Add the small pieces of chicken to the pan stirring until brown from all sides.

4. Meanwhile, in a blender add yogurt to half of fried onions, ginger and garlic. Blend and add to browned chicken.

5. Add to the pan with chicken, chopped tomatoes, 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1/2 tbsp black pepper, 1/2 tbsp black cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick. Add corriander powder and salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 1/2 hour, stirring frequently.

6. When water is dried up and chicken is tender, add nutmeg and mace.

7. Boil rice in 4 cups of water with salt and rest of the spices. Cook for 10 mins roughly and then drain water leaving whole spices in the rice.

8. In an oven resistant pot, first put half of the chicken in the bottom and then half of rice. Add half of lemon juice, half of fried onions, chopped corriander and green chillies.

9. Repeat layering. Pour 1/4 cup of oil on top along with saffron and milk mixture.

10. Place in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees) along with a lid for 1 hour.