Chicken Biriyani - Restaurant style.

For the love of Biriyani!!!

Our family is a bunch of Biriyani Lovers. Each of the Maami's and aunts in the family have their  own version of the Malabar Biriyani and I can vouch for each one. When Biriyani is made for every special occasion, it just becomes you and forges itself into every nice memory. So I can safely say that all my happy memories have a Biriyani lurking in there somewhere. 

During the early days of cooking, the first dish I attempted was the Biriyani. Yes, you heard it right. It was talk of the family for few weeks. How a novice in the kitchen even thought there would be something edible at the end of the cooking adventure is beyond me. Well, back then I was of the opinion that if I am going to be out there in the kitchen, then I might as well make Biriyani. Oh, the disasters that followed. Something always went wrong - Too much masala, too less masala, rice was overcooked , rice was undercooked, then there was also something which just did not sit right. After multiple attempts, I gave up. I thought I might as well go home and eat Amma's biriyani than spend whole day in the kitchen and end up disappointed. After few years, my love for biriyani won over my laziness and I tried again. By then, my general sense around the kitchen had improved. After a couple of sensible attempts, I was there. Finally, a biriyani that I could call my own. 

While growing up, Biriyani meant just one -  the one that was served on the thalennu of any wedding back in Mahe. It's now known as The Thalasserry Biriyani. I did not know other Biriyanis existed. Rather, I did not want to know.  Moving out of home and becoming open to trying different cuisines has thrown up an entirely different world. So any chance to savor a Biriyani is a treat, and I must say I quiet enjoyed most of them. Though I always try making different types of Biriyani, Malabar Biriyani is still my personal favorite. My children lean towards the Hyderabadi Biriyani and the many different varieties of Tamil Nadu Biriyani are also made often in my kitchen. 

And any version of biryani is good with me. The cooking process is a joy in itself. I have not enjoyed making any other dish like I do with the Biriyani. The very basic foundation of  biriyani is against my nature - imagine preparing to cook something. But because it is the Biriyani, I make the effort. The preparation and getting together of all the ingredients, the marinade, the different stages of cooking, the layering and the dum which brings together all the flavors. It is like unpacking a gift box with layers. Surprise and delight at every stage. If only I was not inherently lazy, I would like to try every variety of Biriyani there is and still declare Thalasserry Biriyani as the winner. Now, that's a dream. Onwards, to all kinds and varieties of Biriyanis. 

Today's biriyani is for my children, so it is a bit on the less spicy side. They wanted some biryani that looks like it is from the restaurant. Things staying at home for months does to you. 

Note : I prefer marinating the chicken overnight. (The planner in me is in attendance when it comes to the Biriyani. ) If you can't or won't, do let the marinade sit for at least 4-5 hours. No? Go right ahead and make it. It won't be a disaster but will not be as flavorful either. 

Any recipe calls for this ground rule : Please read the whole recipe before you get to work on it. This rule was written with the Biriyani in mind. So just reading it will take a while, so pull up a chair, read through it - it runs like a novel, but if you get the hang of it, then it is the easiest thing to put together. 

Chicken Marination : 

Chicken - 3.3 Pounds / 1500 gms

Golden fried onion - 2 Large Onions - Sliced thin and fried till golden

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tbsp. 

Red Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 Tbsp.

Cumin Powder  - 1 Tbsp.

Mint Leaves - Roughly Chopped - a handful

Coriander Leaves - Roughly Chopped - a handful

Green Chillies - 6 - Sliced long

Curd - 1 Cup

Oil - 4 Tbsp.

Lemon Juice - 2 Tbsp.

Spices for the Biriyani Masala : 

Bay Leaf  - 3

Star Anise - 3 

Cinnamon - 2  

Cloves - 4 

Mace - 2 

Peppercorns - 6 

Cardamom - 6

Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp. 

Grind the above to a fine powder and keep aside. 

For the color : 

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice -  Squeezed from 1 Lemon

Mix and keep ready for sprinkling on rice. 

Red food color - Few Drops diluted with water. ( For that restaurant look and feel , as I did not have saffron at hand) 

Keep ready for sprinkling on rice during the layering process. 

Chicken Marinade :  

1. In a deep bowl, add the yoghurt. To this add the ground spice Masala, Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander powder, Cumin Powder, Salt, Lemon Juice and Oil and mix well. Now add the cleaned chicken pieces and coat well. 

2. To this add the ginger garlic paste, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves , fried onions and green chillies. Give it a good mix. 

3. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for a minimum of 5 hours. 

Next Day : ( If you chose to marinate overnight)

1. Take a wide pan and transfer the marinated chicken to the pan.

2.  Cover and cook the chicken.

3. Cook till the chicken is 3/4th cooked. Check the gravy and adjust seasoning before switching off the burner. 

4. Keep aside.

Rice  :

Basmati Rice - 750 gms ( Rinsed and soaked for one hour) 

Bay leaves - 2

Cardamom - 4

Cloves - 4 

Shah Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Salt 

Oil/Ghee - 1.5 Tbsp.

Lemon Juice  - 1 Tbsp. 

Heat a deep bowl with at least 2 litres of  water. ( We will be draining off the water, so do not worry about the quantity) 

Throw in all the spices and bring the water to a boil.

Add Oil/ Ghee and the lemon juice.  

To this add the drained rice and allow it to cook.

Stay close to the rice. It cooks fast. And we are looking for a 70% done consistency.  So should be done in 7-8 minutes. 

Once done, work quickly to remove the cooked rice and transfer to a wide plate or just start layering directly. 

Layering :

To the 3/4th cooked chicken, add the rice, spreading it around. 

Now, sprinkle the yellow turmeric water and Red food coloring. 

Add the golden fried onions around. Add the garam masala on top. Just sprinkle it around on the rice. Add 1 Tbsp. of ghee (if using). 

Add few mint leaves (Optional)

Now add one more layer of rice and repeat the process.

Cover vessel tightly with a foil and transfer it to the oven. Heat the Oven to  375 Degrees Fahrenheit and allow it to cook for 30-35 minutes.  

Serve hot with Raita of your choice. 

Note : If you want a spicier version, just add more green chillies and a tea spoon of red chilli powder to the chicken gravy.