X’mas Special Kerala Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients

• 300 gms Chicken

Cooking the Rice:
• 2 cups Basmati Rice or Jeerakasala Rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Cloves
• 3 Cardamons
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cooking Chicken Masala:
• 3 Onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Green chillies, chopped
• 1tbsp Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp Garam masala
• 2 tomatoes, sliced

Others:
• 1/2 cup Fried Onions
• Fried Cashews and Raisins
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
• Ghee
• 2 tbsp Saffron in milk
• 4 Boiled eggs

Instructions

1. Soak rice for about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the masala. Heat ghee in a pan.
3. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and onion. Saute.
4. Once cooked, add red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute.
5. Add tomatoes and cook until well mashed and oil separates.
6. Add chicken and mix well. Cook until chicken is done. Keep aside.
7. It’s time to cook rice. Bring water to boil and add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and salt. Add rice and cook until 3/4th done. Add a tbsp on lemon juice so that the rice doesn’t stick together.
8. For assembling the biriyani, heat a deep vessel. Add some ghee and layer it with chicken masala.
9. Top it with a layer of 3/4th cooked rice.
10. Sprinkle fried onions, mint and coriander leaves. Add a tbsp of ghee as well. Repeat the process.
11. Finally, top it with fried cashews and raisins and saffron milk.
12. Cook covered for about 7-8minutes in low flame.
13. Serve hot with boiled egg, raita, pappad and pickle.

Notes