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Chicken Biryani

Food

Ingredients 

Chicken 1 medium, cut into large pieces
Basmati rice 3 cups
Onions 5 large nos.
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp
Mint leaves 1 bunch
Coriander leaves 1 bunch
Curd 2 cups
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 3 tsp
Jeera powder 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tsp
Green chillies 4-5 nos.
Cinnamon 2 pieces
Cloves 10 nos.
Cardamoms 6 nos.
Garam masala ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
Ghee ½ a cup
Lime juice 
Saffron a few strands (optional)
Milk 4 tbsp (optional)
Cashew nuts 20 nos.
Raisins 20 nos.
Eggs 4 

Method:

Marinate  the chicken with beaten curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander, jeera and chilli powders and salt for about an hour. Meanwhile, slice onions very thin, and deep fry in oil mixed with ¼ cup of ghee till crisp. Clean and wash the rice, drain and keep aside. Clean and chop the mint and coriander leaves. In the same oil, fry chopped cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown, drain and keep aside. Slit green chillies, and mix into the marinated chicken. Put chicken and marinade into the kadai in which the onions/cashew nuts were fried. Add a little water, cover and cook till  the chicken is half done. Remove  the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and measure the stock. Add enough water to make it six cups. 

Put the rice into a rice cooker, add the whole spices, arrange the chicken pieces on top, sprinkle three-quarters of the fried onions and all the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Pour in the measured stock into which the garam masala powder has been added. Pour the remaining quarter cup of ghee over the whole mixture. Close and cook till done. Meanwhile, hard-boil and shell the eggs. Soak the saffron in milk, if you are using it. When the biryani is done, open the rice cooker, and sprinkle saffron-soaked milk on top. Mix carefully and cover and leave for a while.  Just before serving, mix in the juice of half a lime. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with the remaining fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins, and boiled eggs. Serve piping hot with papads, raita and pickles.

Susan Philip

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