CHICKEN BIRIYANI

Ingredients:

For cooking chicken:
Chicken - 1 kg (cleaned, chopped into medium sized pieces : 8-10 in a kg)
Onion - 3 big sliced thinly
Tomato - 2 medium
Tomato paste - 2 tsp scooped up
Green chilly - 3
Ginger garlic paste - 3tsp
Chilly powder - 1.5tsp
Coriander powder - 2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Cumin powder - 3/4tsp
Pepper powder - 1.5tsp OR whole pepper - 15 nos
Garam masala powder - 1tsp OR Cardamon - 2, Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece, Cloves - 4
Salt - 2tsp
Oil
Ghee
Coriander leaves
Mint leaves

For cooking Rice:
Rice - 2 cups (Punjab Garden or India Gate Basmati Rice)
Bay leaves - 2
Mace - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Lemon juice - 1tbsp
Salt - 1.5tsp

Cashews - 15-20 nos
Raisins - as needed
Onion - sliced and deep fried in Ghee - optional
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp mix in 1tbsp water
Coriander leaves
Pineapple chunks

Method:
To cook chicken:
- Heat 2tbsp oil and 1tbsp ghee in a deep bottomed pan
- If adding whole garam masala, add them now and fry for a minute
- Add onion, green chilly and saute until onion is done
- Add gg paste and cook until the raw smell goes
- Add tomato and mix well
- Mix tomato paste with a little water in a bowl, pour and mix well
- Add all dry powders, salt and cook for a while
- Add chicken, 1/2 cup water and let it boil once
- Reduce flame, cover and cook until chicken is done
- Sprinkle chopped mint and coriander leaves and keep the chicken aside

To cook rice:
- Boil water with all garam masala and lemon juice
- Add rice and cook, once half cooked, add salt
- Once done, filter out water and keep aside

To dum the Biriyani:
- Mix 1/2tsp turmeric powder in 2 tbsp of water, add to the rice and mix well
- Fry cashews, raisins, mint and coriander leaves separately in ghee and keep aside

Keep a deep bottomed pan in very low flame, greese in the bottom with ghee, add a portion of rice to it, place few pieces of chicken on it, sprinkle cashews, raisins, coriander leaves and repeat until the rice is done. Sprinkle some pineapple chunks and dum for 5-10 minutes with covered lid.Serve hot with Raita, Papad and the balance chicken curry.