RECIPES OF INDIA

Kerala Style Biryani

Ingredients

2 cups

3 lbs

1 tsp

1 tsp

3-4 pieces

3-4

3-4

1 piece

8 cloves

2-3 stems

2-3 stems

20

15

3 tsp

5-6 drops

1 tsp

A pinch

3

3 big

2-3

1 tsp

Basmati rice
Chicken
Chilli powder
Coriander powder
Cinnamon (1 inch)
Cloves
Elaichi
Ginger (1 inch)
Garlic
Mint leaves
Cilantro (coriander leaves)
Cashew nuts
Raisins
Curd
Lemon juice
Rose essence
Yellow color powder
Tomatoes (cut into big pieces)
Onions

Green chillies (cut)

Garlic-ginger paste

Water (amount as in recipe)

Ghee/oil/butter (amount as in recipe)

Turmeric powder (amount as in recipe)

Black pepper (amount as in recipe)

Masala powder (amount as in recipe)

Salt (adjust to taste)

1. Soak rice in water and keep for an hour
2. Cut it into big pieces and make some slits on each piece, so that masala will go in
3. Mix  chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, a little turmeric powder, a little black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic-ginger paste, a little masala powder and salt for taste, lemon juice, and chicken and keep for (approximately) an hour
4. Fry the above in oil for a short while (Make sure the chicken is not fully cooked)
5. Drain water from rice and keep it aside
6. Warm a thick bottom vessel, and when all the water is gone, put 2-3 teaspoons of ghee
7. When it is hot, put pieces of cinnamon, clove and elaichi
8. After a little while, put the drained rice into it, and fry for for about 10 minutes and pour water to it (for 1cup of rice use 1 3/4 cup of water)
9. Add little yellow color to it and add salt to taste
10. Put on high heat, and cover with a lid (After a while when water is not visible on top of the rice, bottom rice can get burnt. Then open the lid, and mix the rice)
11. After water is not seen, don’t keep it on stove for long time. If the rice is cooked, just switch off the stove, and keep it closed for about 30 minutes (Even before the rice is completely cooked the stove is switched off it will get some cook time while baking)
12. Heat a vessel, and add, some ghee/oil/butter
13. When it is hot add 1/2 tsp of garlic-ginger paste, and green chillies
14. Sautee it for sometime, and then add onions to it
15. Sautee it, and when it is nicely done, add 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, a little black pepper, and a little masala powder for taste
16. Add salt to taste and sautee again
17. After a while, add curd to it and mix it well
18. Add fried chicken pieces to it and cover and cook for about 10 minutes
19. Add tomatoes to this, cover and cook and stir in between (The gravy should be like a paste and not dry but also not be watery)
20. Check for salt and add more, if needed
21. Fry raisins, cashew nuts, cilantro, mint leaves etc in ghee and keep aside (Best is to fry this separately)
22. Take a big flat dish coat it with ghee or butter
23. Put the chicken with gravy as a layer
24. Then put a layer of rice (use half portion of cooked rice)
25. Then sprinkle some ghee on top of it (1 teaspoon)
26. Sprinkle some rose essence (1 teaspoon)
27. Sprinkle the fried leaves there, and cover with another layer of the remaining rice
28. Then sprinkle the cashew nuts and raisins on top of it
29. Cover with aluminum foil
30. Bake this in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes

To serve take portions from the baked biryani, so that a serving plate will have both rice, and chicken with masala. This goes well with lime pickle and raita