Chicken Biriyani Tamilnadu style

Cooking time : 30 mins
Serves           : 2

Sundays are not complete without Non- Veg. That too, if it is Biriyani, who doesnot love to eat?  I even used to bunk breakfast to have biriyani on sundays. Here is a simple recipe to make Tamilnadu style Biriyani. My mom used to cook biriyani in this way.  Many of our relatives and friends has asked my mom this recipe and even i follow the same way to make chicken biriyani. I am sharing the same in my blog.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken (Preferably with bones)                       - 500 g
Basmathi Rice/ Seeraga Samba Rice                  - 1 1/2 cups
Onion (medium sized, chopped lengthwise)        -  2
Tomato                                                           -  2                                  
Ghee                                                               -  3 tbsp
Oil                                                                   -  3 tbsp
cloves                                                              -  2
Aniseed                                                            -  2
Cinnamon                                                         -  1 "
Bay leaves                                                        - 2
Fennel seeds                                                     - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom                                                        -  2
Curd                                                                 -  2 tbsp
Lemon                                                              -  1 tsp
Mint leaves                                                        - 1 strand
Coriander leaves                                                 - To Garnish
Salt                                                                    - To Taste

To Grind:
Cashew nuts                                                     - 10
Fennel seeds                                                     - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies                                                    - 6
Poppy seeds                                                     - 1/2 tsp
cloves                                                              - 2
Black Pepper                                                    - 1 tsp
Onion                                                               - 1/2 piece
Ginger                                                              - 1 "
Garlic                                                               -  6
Coriander leaves + mint leaves                           -  1/4 cup

To Marinate:
Curd                                                                  - 2 tbsp  
Ginger Garlic paste                                              - 1 tsp
Salt                                                                    - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder                                                       - 1/2 tsp



METHOD:

1. Initial Preparation : Soak Rice in hot water for 10 mins and drain the water completely. Dont soak more than that. Grind all the items mentioned in "Items to grind" section. Mix the chicken with the ingredients given in "To Marinate" section and keep in fridge for 1 hr.
2. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and ghee. Add Mint leaves, Bay leaves, Fennel seeds, Cinnamon, Star anise, Cloves, Cardamom and when the aroma comes, add Onion. Fry Onion till it becomes golden brown. Add Tomatoes and fry well till the oil and tomato seperates. Dont add water.
3. Add Chicken pieces, curd and cook for 3 mins. Dont add water.
4. Add the ground masala and stir well. At this stage, add rice and stir well.
5. Add 2 cups of water (Rice and water Ratio is 1:1 1/4). If required, u can add another 1/4 cup of water. Add salt, Lemon, coriander leaves and let it boil for 2 mins. Adding lemon prevents the rice from becoming sticky.
6. Pressure cook in medium flame for 2 whistles and leave it in low flame for 10 mins. Remove from the flame and allow it to cool.
7. Serve hot with Raitha.

IF YOU ARE USING RICE COOKER, FOLLOW THE BELOW STEPS:

1. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and fry Onion till it becomes golden brown. Add Tomatoes and fry well till the oil and tomato seperates. Dont add water.
2. Add Chicken pieces, curd and cook for 3 mins. Add the ground masala and stir well.
3. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and allow the cooker to cool.
4. Meanwhile, in a rice cooker, Remove the plate that is present inside the cooking pan. This will avoid the sticking of masala to the plate and the masala will get mixed properly. Add the rice and 2 cups of water and allow it to boil for 5 mins.
5. Add the chicken with masala from the pressure cooker to the rice cooker.
6. In a seperate pan, heat oil and ghee. Add Mint leaves, Bay leaves, Fennel seeds, Cinnamon, Star anise, Cloves, Cardamom and when the aroma comes, add these contents to the rice cooker.
7. Add salt, Lemon, coriander leaves and close the lid.

Tips:

• Always use chicken with bones while cooking chicken biriyani which enhances the flavour.
• Dont add much water because the chicken will leave some water.
• Soak Biriyani rice in hot water so that rice wont be sticky.
• Use freshly grinded ginger garlic paste.
• Use mint leaves and coriander leaves to get nice aroma.
• Biriyani cooked in rice cooker has a wonderful taste than in pressure cooker since the masala gets mixed well. It is essential to remove the plate inside the cooking pan of rice cooker to avoid sticking of masala.

Linking this to the event "Mom's Recipe"