Wedding-style Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 750 g chicken (biriyani-cut)
• 600 g Basmati Rice (soaked)
• 100 ml oil
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• 3 nos cardamom
• 4 nos cloves
• 1 no bay leaf
• 3 nos onion (finely sliced)
• 3 nos tomato (finely-sliced)
• ¼ Cup mint leaves (roughly chopped)
• ¼ Cup coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
• 3 nos green chilli (slit)
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ Cup curd
• 3 Cups water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp salt — additional for boiling rice

Steps

1. 1

   In a pan, add the sliced onions, whole spices, and green chillies. Add oil, turn on the flame, and cook the onions till they turn golden brown.

2. 2

   Add the coriander and mint leaves and fry them for a few seconds.

3. 3

   Add the ginger garlic paste and cook it for a minute.

4. 4

   Add the Kashmiri chilli and cook it for a few seconds till it brings out a bright red colour.

5. 5

   Add the tomatoes and cook them till they get mashed and oil splutters from the sides. Add salt.

6. 6

   Add curd, mix it well. Add water, mix it well, and bring it to a boil.

7. 7

   Add the chicken, mix it well. Cover and cook it on a medium flame for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   In another pot, boil water, add salt to it, and make sure the water tastes slightly salty. Add the rice and cook it till it is 70% done (for about 2-3 minutes). Strain the rice immediately. Reserve some of the water.

9. 9

   Add the rice to the chicken masala and mix it very gently. If there isn't enough water, pour water till it is equal to the level of the rice.

10. 10

    Bring it to a boil and immediately cover the pot with silver foil and a fitting lid.

11. 11

    Place the pot on a preheated tawa and keep the biryani on dum for 15 minutes on a medium flame.

12. 12

    Serve it hot.