There are 2 methods of making this hyderabadi chicken biryani – In Kachi method where marinated raw chicken and partially cooked basmati rice are layered and cooked on dum on slow fire. Another variation where they cook the meat gravy separately and layer it with fully cooked rice and cook on dum this version is called Pakki. While cooking dum biriyani, the utensil is closed with a lid and sealed with dough to trap the steam for rapid cooking, But for cooking chicken biriyani you can close it it a tight lid and place a heavy utensil on top of the lid. I kept a cooker filled with water on top of the lid while cooking on dum.
Cooking Time: 45 Mins
Serves: 5
Before we move on to the process, First thinly slice the 6-7 Medium sized onions and deep fry to brown and crisp. Drain in a kitchen tissue and keep it ready, this brown onion is used for marination & garnish. this brings out the flavour for the nizam recipe, so do not skip this step.
Step 1 :- Marination
Marination time: Min. 1 hr Max. over night
Ingredients:
Chicken - 1 kg with bone
Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 3 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 3 tbsp
Green chillies - 10
Coriander leaves - handfull [finely chopped]
Mint leaves - handful
Fried Onions - handful
Thick Curd - 400 gms
Oil - 5 tbsp
Salt - to taste
METHOD FOR MARINATION:
- Wash the chicken, drain and keep it in a big bowl.
- Add all the ingredients one by one into the chicken.
- Leave it to marinate atleast for an hour or you can even marinate a day earlier and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
STEP 2: BOILING THE RICE
INGREDIENTS:
Basmati rice - 5 cups(I used Daawat)
Cardamom - 5
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 2sticks
Bay leaves - 2
Ghee - 4 - 5 tbsp
Salt - to taste
water
METHOD FOR PREPARING THE RICE:
- Wash & Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.(this will make your rice grain longer).
- Simultaneously in a big wide vessel, boil lots of water with salt, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and bay leaves.
- When the water starts boiling add the soaked rice to it and add ghee.
- Give it a stir, dont keep stirring frequently as rice will break down.
- Cook till the rice is partially done. This will take 7 - 8 minutes as you have already soaked the rice for 30 minutes. Keep checking now and then.
- Once rice is 3/4 cooked i.e when you take a single drain and mash it should not be too hard nor too soft. Drain the rice in a strainer and keep it aside.
STEP 3: LAYERING Meat & Rice:
- Take a wide heavy bottom vessel, Put a very thin layer of rice as first layer, This is a protective layer so that you don't burn the chicken in case if get's over cooked..
- Put the marinated chicken as your second layer. and layer half quantity of the cooked rice as the third layer.
- Now, sprinkle fried onions,coriander leaves,mint leaves and lemon juice as the fourth layer. and spread the remaining rice as the final layer.
- Mix some food color [ yellow & orange] with little water or saffron with milk and pour on top of the rice for the color.
- Spoon couple of ghee on the corners around the rice, this helps in mixing the rice easily once cooked.
- Seal it with aluminium foil and close it with lid and place a heavy vessel on top of it.
- Cook on high flame for 10 - 12 mins initially and later sim the flame and let it cook for another 15 minutes.
- Switch off the stove and leave aside for 10 minutes, Be careful while opening the lid because the steam can be dangerous. while serving put the spatula at the corner of the vessel and lift it and serve..
Serve it hot with Onion raitha, Brinjal gravy & chicken 65!!