Everyone just loves chicken biryani even if you don't belong to the Indian subcontinent. I have always made biryani from the packet masala but this time I made it from scratch with all the masalas I had in my kitchen cupboard.
Its healthy to cook it from the basic ingredients and incredibly delicious and mouthwatering. If you have never tried making biryani, follow my step by step instructions and pictures.
Firstly, fry the onion slices till golden brown.
Blend the fried onions till they become a rough paste.
In a pot, sauté chicken pieces and potatoes in oil on medium heat. Add all the spices and stir. Mix in the onion paste and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 5 to 8 mins.
Blend yogurt, fresh mint and coriander leaves together.
Pour in the yogurt mixture, prunes and lemon slices. Cook for 10 to 15 mins on medium heat till there is a layer of oil on top.
Boil basmati rice, they shouldn't be fully cooked just 80 pc. Divide the rice into two. Layer one half in a big pot.
Now layer it with the all of the chicken masala.
Now the second layer of rice. Pour half cup of oil all over the rice and yellow food coloring.
Cover with a foil paper and then the lid. It should be tightly sealed so that the steam stays inside. Cook on very low flame for 15 mins. Serve hot with yogurt raita and fresh salad. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken pieces
- 2 large potatoes cut into big cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 1 bunch coriander leaves
- 1 bunch mint leaves
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 small lemon sliced
- 2 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cardamom
- 2 big cardamom (badi ilaichi)
- 1 tsp black seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 4 to 5 dried prunes (alu bukhara)
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 chicken stock cube
- Salt to taste
- Water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 tsp Yellow food color dissolved in water
Directions
- 1Fry onions till they are golden brown. Blend the onions into a paste.
- 2In a pot, sauté chicken and potatoes in 3 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Add all the spices, ginger, garlic paste and chicken stock cube. Stir and mix in the onion paste and tomatoes. Add abt half cup of water if the masala seems dry. Let it cook for 8 to 10 mins.
- 3Blend yogurt with mint and coriander leaves. Pour this yogurt mixture followed by prunes and lemon slices. Cook for 10 mins or more till the layer of oil is visible.
- 4Take a larger pot, divide the rice into two halves. Layer first half of rice and then spread all the chicken masala on it.
- 5Layer with the remaining rice. Add oil and yellow food coloring. Cover the pot with a foil paper and seal with the lid.
- 6Cook on very low flame for 15 mins.
- 7Serve hot with raita and fresh salad. Enjoy!
