Chicken Biryani - Home Style

 

Hi friends,

Today I am going to share a recipe for my home-style biryani. 

This is not as easy and simple as my other biryani recipe Chicken Biryani Simple . But it is not very difficult too. This recipe calls for a biryani masala powder, for which I have shared the recipe too below.

Ingredients you need (makes for a family of 3 people)

For the biryani masala powder:

Cloves- 2

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece

Cardamom - 2

Bay leaves - 1 big

Star Anise - 1

Shahi Jeera / Black Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel Seeds / Sombu - 1 tsp

Peppercorns - 5 to 6

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 2 or 3 (as per your taste)

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Grind all the above to a fine powder. you need not roast them dry or with oil.

Main Ingredients for the recipe - 

Chicken  - 1.5 lbs

Seeraga Samba rice - 2 cups, washed and soaked for about 30 minutes in a cup of water (this aromatic rice is traditionally used in biryanis. they are very tiny and looks like seeragam/ cumin seeds. You can use Basmati Rice alternatively)

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 pod / 6 large cloves 

Green chillies - 3 small size

Onions - 3 large (1 - cut into large pieces, another cut into thin slices and the last one cut into thick slices)

Tomato -1

Curd - 1/2 cup

Mint leaves - 1 bunch, we will use as needed

Coriander leaves - 1 handful

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp for seasoning

Salt as per your taste

Oil for cooking - 4 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp (if you do not want to add butter, then add one more tbsp of oil instead)

To start with the preparation, first grind the ginger and garlic into a coarse paste. Then heat a pressure pan and put in the washed and cut chicken pieces, salt, turmeric powder, 1 tsp of ground biryani masala, 1/2 tsp of the ground ginger garlic paste, a few mint leaves and 2 cups of water. You need not sauté any of these ingredients as we are just going to pressure cook for 5 mintues. 

Now in the same jar, along with the ground the ginger and garlic, add the onion cut into large pieces, green chillies and 1/4 cup of mint leaves and grind into a fine paste. 

In another thick bottomed pan, heat the oil + butter, then put the fennel seeds. Once it splatters, add the thinly sliced onions and sauté for a minute and then add the thick slices of onion and sauté. This way, the thin slices become crisp and the thick slices do not, like you see in the picture below.

Now add the ground onion paste and sauté until the raw smell goes. 

Now, add the cooked and drained chicken pieces, some mint and coriander leaves, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, the remaining biryani masala and salt needed for the rice and mix well. After the tomatoes are little mushy, now switch off the stove and add the curd, beaten without lumps and mix well, until the chicken is well coated with all the masala.

  

Switch on the stove and add the still hot chicken broth and once everything comes to a boil, add the soaked rice with the water. Do not add more water. The broth, the water content in the gravy because of the onion, tomato and curd and the water with the soaked rice will be enough for the rice to get cooked to the right consistency. At this time, adjust the salt and spices, as per your taste.

Now, cover the pan and remember to keep the flame in high for the first 5 minutes and then reduce to low flame and cook for another 10 minutes for seeraga samba rice or 5 minutes for basmati rice. Then switch of the stove and do not open the pan immediately. I like to leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes, before I open the pan and serve. 

If you look at the picture below, you will see that the biryani has not burnt at the bottom of the pan. 

And if you notice, in the below picture, the rice is not over-cooked or under cooked and it is not soft either. The perfect consistency!!

Biryani is ready to serve...... Enjoy with boiled eggs and onion or cucumber raita!!

Don't forget to subscribe, post your valuable comments below and share the recipe with your friends!

Love, 

Vidhya😊