Chicken Biryani – Pakistani Style

Ingredients :

For Fried Onions :

Onions : 5 large onions (peeled, finely sliced and fried until crisp)

Cooking Oil : 1/4 cup or as needed

For Marinating Chicken:

Chicken: 2.2 lb (cut into medium-big pieces)

Raw Papaya: one 2″ piece (made into a paste)

Half of fried onions

Yogurt /Curd: 1/2 cup

Ginger: 1/2″ piece (minced)

Garlic: 3 cloves (minced)

Red chilli Powder: 1 1/2 tbsp (or to your spice level)

Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

Garam Masala : 1 tsp

For the Chicken Masala :

Cooking oil: 5 tbsp

Crushed Red Chilli Flakes: 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder: 2 tsp

Garlic: 3 cloves

Ginger : 1″ piece

Green Chillies: 4 (or to your spice level)

Turmeric Powder: 1tsp

Whole Garam Masala: (Green Cardamom: 5 pods, Black Cardamom: 1 pod, Cinnamon Stick: one 2″ piece)

Whole Black Pepper Corns: 1/4 tsp

Tomato: 4 (medium, finely chopped)

Yogurt /Curd: 1/4 cup (beaten)

Juice of half a lemon

Mint Leaves : 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup for garnish (chopped)

Coriander Leaves /Cliantro : 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup for garnish (chopped)

Salt to taste

For Rice :

Basmati rice : 2 1/2 cups /540 grms, (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained)

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.

Whole Garam Masala : (Cloves : 4, Bay leaves : 2, Black Pepper Corns : 10, Green Cardamom : 3,Black Cardamom : 1 and Cinnamon stick : one 1″ piece)

Safforn Threads : 1/2 tsp (dissolve in 1/2 cup of warm water and set it aside)

Rose essence : 1/4 tsp (optional)

Salt to taste

Marinating Chicken: In a big bowl, add all the ingredients listed above ” For Marinating Chicken” and allow the chicken to marinate for 1/2 to 1 hours.

Chicken Masala : Grind ginger, garlic, & green chillies to coarse paste and set it aside. Heat oil in a large cooking vessel over high heat. Add garam masala powder, red chilli flakes, turmeric powder, whole black pepper corns , whole garam masala listed above ” For Chicken Masala”; sauté until fragrant for a minute. Add grounded gralic-ginger-green chilli coarse paste, chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring for couple of minutes. Add the marinated chicken, adjust the salt, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium; cook until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Now add remaining half of fried onions, 1/2 cup of yogurt, chopped mint, and chopped coriander leaves, cook, uncovered for 10 minutes more. Set aside.

Cook rice for Biryani: Soak the rice for 30 mins and drain the water completely. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in big saucepan. Add cumin seeds and all whole garam masala listed above “For Rice”, and add salt to taste. Cook the rice till ¾ done

Final Cooking and Layering Biryani: Transfer half the chicken masala to the same cooking vessel in which you cooked rice. Top the chicken masala with half the rice. Pour half the saffron mixture onto rice along with a few drops of rose water; mix gently into rice with fork. Top with remaining chicken masala and remaining rice; drizzle with remaining saffron and drops of rose water; mix gently with fork. Sprinkle few coriander and mint leaves as final layer over the rice. Cover and steam on very low heat until rice is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from the fire. Let it rest unopened on cooking vessel for another 10 mins. Open and garnish with remaining chopped mint and cilantro. Serve hot with Raita, Pickle or Boiled egg and Pappadam on the side and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

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