Bhavana's Chettinad Chicken Biriyani

Bhavana's alteration of original recipe

Ingredients:

2 chicken, cut and soaked in water flavored with grated ginger.
6 cups rice soaked in water
Grind - black pepper, corriander, pudina, ginger, garlic, coconut according to taste.

Heat oil and add elaichi, cinnamon, marathi moggu, star anise, cloves. Add onion and fry well. Drain chicken and add it to fried onions. After frying chicken for a little bit, add red chille pwd and dhania pwd, and fry some more. Add grounded masala and fry till cooked. After turning off flame add juice for 3 fresh lime.

Boil water with paththar ke phool , bay leaves and salt. Then add soaked rice to it and cook till almost done. Spread chicken curry in a large tray. Layer rice on top of it. Cover with fried onions. Make the container air tight and bake in oven at 350 for 40 mins.

Remember - no tomato or yogurt.


Original recipe:

Soak 250 gm of basmati rice (pakeeza) in water for 30 minutes with two teaspoons of salt, four whole cardamoms and six pieces of cinnamon bark.
Parboil the rice, drain it and reserve.

Marinate 500 gm of chicken pieces in a mixture prepared from
10 gm each of coriander and mint leaves,
30 gm of ginger and garlic paste,
a teaspoon each of black pepper powder and dry coconut paste,
a tablespoon of lemon juice,
one and a half teaspoon of whole cardamom paste with small amounts each of star anise, Marathi mugga, paththar ke phool and
half a teaspoon each of red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt to taste.

Now, heat 75 ml of refined oil in a pan.
Fry 50 gm of chopped onion in it and drain.
Add the marinated chicken pieces in the pan and cook over slow fire till done.
In a handi prepare a bed of parboiled rice, using half the amount set aside.
Arrange the chicken pieces on the bed and cover with the rest of the rice.
Garnish with strips of fried onion.
Seal the pan with the lid and cook in dhum for 15 minutes. Serve hot.