Briyani
Certainly! Here's a basic recipe for making chicken biryani, one of the most popular variations of biryani:
Ingredients:
For Marination
- 500g chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
For Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
- 4-5 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 whole cloves
- 4-5 whole green cardamom
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- Salt to taste
For Briyani
- 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- fried onions for garnish (optional)
- Saffron strands soaked in warm milk (optional)
Steps
- Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
- Mix well to ensure chicken pieces are evenly coated with the marinade.
- Mix well to ensure chicken pieces are evenly coated with the marinade.
- Prepare the Rice:
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
- Add soaked basmati rice, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and salt.
- Cook until the rice is 70-80% done. It should still have a slight bite to it.
- Drain the rice and set aside.
- Cooking the Biryani:
- In a heavy-bottomed pan or biryani pot, heat ghee or oil over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
- Add marinated chicken pieces along with any marinade left in the bowl.
- Cook the chicken until it's about 70-80% done and the moisture has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Layer half of the partially cooked rice over the chicken in the pot.
- Sprinkle half of the chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves, chopped tomatoes, and slit green chilies over the rice.
- Layer the remaining rice over the top.
- Garnish with the remaining mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried onions if using.
- Drizzle saffron milk over the rice for added aroma and flavor if desired.
- Cover the pot tightly with a lid and cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes, allowing the biryani to steam and the flavors to meld together.
- Once done, gently fluff up the biryani with a fork, mixing the layers lightly.
- Serve hot with raita (yogurt-based side dish) or salad.