Preparation Time: 15 min. Cooking Time: 40 min. Serves 4 For Marinade: 750 grams Boneless Chicken Cube 1¼ cup Yoghurt 1½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic and Green Chilli Paste 2 tbsp Tikka Masala Powder ¼ tsp Garam Masala Powder ¾ tsp Turmeric Powder 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder ¾ tsp Salt Curry: 1½ cups Basmati Rice 1 cup Fresh Tomato Puree 2 Onions Very Finely Chopped (preferably Indian Onions) 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic and Green Chilli Paste 4 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander ½ Juice of Lime 4 tbsp Oil 2 tbsp Butter 2 tsp Cumin Seeds ¼ tsp Asafoetida (Hing) 3 Bay Leaf Two 1-Inch Cinnamon Sticks 6 Cloves 6 Green Cardamom 1 tsp Black Peppercorns ¾ tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi) 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp Tikka Masala Powder 1½ tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp Raw Honey Salt to Taste 1 cup Fried Onions (ready-made) ½ cup Saffron-infuse Water (add ¼ tsp Saffron) 6 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter) For Marinade:
Hang the yoghurt in a muslin cloth for 10 minutes and then toss it in the bowl, add ginger-garlic and green chilli paste, tikka masala powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
Mix well then combine with the chicken cubes. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Method:
Rinse the soaked rice for an hour and drain it into a bowl. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add 2 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom and ½ tsp black peppercorns.
Once hot add 1 tsp cumin seeds, the rice and 1 tsp salt, sauté for a minute then add 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil then simmer until cooked about 80% of the way.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a big pan, add the remaining cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and black peppercorns, once hot add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and onions.
Cook till brown then add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder, tikka masala, garam masala and ginger-garlic and green chilli paste.
Mix well then add the tomato puree, raw honey and salt. Sauté until the tomato puree has thickened.
Now add the marinated chicken, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add ¼ cup of water in the bowl that had the chicken, and stir all the marinade spices. Pour it with the chicken. Mix well and simmer until the chicken has cooked and squeeze in the lime.
In a large pot, assemble your biryani in the following layers: a layer of rice at the bottom then the chicken curry, fried onion, coriander, saffron-infused water and 2 tbsp ghee. Do the same for the second layer and finish with a layer of rice on the top with saffron-infused water, 2 tbsp ghee, fried onions, and coriander.
Simmer the biryani over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the rice and chicken are heated throughout.
Enjoy hot with raita or yoghurt!
