Chicken dum Biryani

A biryani is a rice dish that's popular in India and pakistan and usually features a mix of rice,herbs,and spices as well and some types of meats.The non-vegeterian biryani include chicken,mutton,and sea food.Biryani usually served with thinly sliced cucumber,tomato and yogurt.Chicken biryani is very popular all over India.It is prepared in different styles i.e with cooked meat or just marinated meat layered with rice.Here I followed first method in which chicken 50% cooked before layering with rice.I'm posting this recipe in Blogging Marathon #48 under the theme Biryani specials.Here goes my recipe.

• Ingredients:
• Chicken 3 lbs
• Basmati rice 4 cups
• Bay leaf 2
• cinnamon sticks 2
• Biryani flower1
• cloves 4
• cardamom 5
•  shahi jeera 1 tspn
• Pepper corns 1/2 tspn
• Mace 2 
• Fried onions  100 gms
• Red chilli powder 2 tbspn
• coriander powder 1 tbspn
• cumin powder 1 tspn
• ginger garlic paste 1 tbspn
• salt
• Turmeric 1/4 tspn( optional)
• Yogurt 1 cup
• Saffron strands soaked in hot milk( 3 tbspns milk)
• Fresh coriander leaves chopped few
• Mint leaves chopped few
• Green chilli 3 
• Oil 4 to 5 tbspn
• Lime juice 2 tbspns
• Boiled eggs( optional)

Marination:

Grind all spices into powder( bay leaf,cinnamon,biryani flower,cloves,cardamom,peppercorns,mace)

Take wide bowl add chicken pieces and spice powder( graram masala powder),chilly powder ,ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder, salt,coriander powder,curd,mint leaves,coriander leaves,fried onions,green chilli,lime juice,oil and mix it well.Keep in the refrigerator over night or if you dont have time keep atleast for 2 hrs in the refrigerator.

Procedure:

•  Heat a deep  non stick pan and pour entire marinated chicken,add 3 to 4 tbspns of ghee and cook  until chicken is 50 to 60% done.This takes around 15 to 20 mins depends upon the quality of chicken.( if water is oozing out of chicken dry up chicken more or leave just enough water to cook with rice)Remove half chicken and keep aside.
• Heat water in another big vessel and let it come to boil,add 1 tbspn oil,1/2 tspn shahi jeera,bay leaf and basmati rice( soak rice atleast1 hr before cooking) and cook until it is  80% done.
• Add layer of rice on top of marinated chicken to the pan.Sprinkle some fried onions,coriander,mint leaves.
• On the top of rice add remaining chicken which we kept aside,add few mint leaves,fried onions,Saffron strands soaked in milk
• Close the lid and let cook 5 mins in medium to high flame,then reduce the flame to low ,cook it for 25 to 30 mins and Switch off the flame.After few mins open the lid and enjoy Biryani layering slices of boiled egg and your choice riata.
• Decorate with boiled slices (optional)

Oven method:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Arrange Biryani in the oven safe tray and keep first 10 mins at 400F
• Then reduce temperature to 375F and contiue in the oven for about 40 mins.
• Take out and enjoy yummy Biryani.

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