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Chicken Biryani is a dish where the rice (mostly basmati rice) is cooked separately from the thick sauce. The word ‘biryani’ is derived from the Persian word berya(n), which means fried or roasted. A biryani can be both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The species and condiments included in biryani are – cloves, ghee, cumin, cardamom, bay leaves, coriander, mint, ginger, garlic and onion. But for a non-vegetarian biryani the main ingredient is meat – beef, chicken, goat, lamb, fish or shrimp. There are many types of biryani namely- Hyderabadi Biryani, Iranian Biryani, Thai Biryani, Dindigul Biryani, Sindhi Biryani, Sri Lankan Biryani and many more.

One such is Chicken Biryani, which is an authentic and delicious dish prepared with chicken pieces marinated in a spice and curd mixture and cooked with basmati rice. Here is the chicken biryane recipe.

1/2 KG Boneless Chicken
4 Cups of Basmati Rice
3-4 Onion Chopped
Puree of 3-4 Tomatoes
2 tbs Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tbs Chilli Powder
1/2 tbs Turmeric
1 tbs Coriander Powder
1 tbs Roasted Cumin Powder
1/2 tbs Garam Masala Powder -
Garam masala items - 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 cardamom, 2 medium sized cinnamon sticks, a pinch of saunf
1 Cup Yogurt
Mint leaves 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil 2-3 tbs
6 Cups of Water (For cooking rice)

Preparation for Marination:
Mix Yogurt, Tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, biryani masala and salt for taste in a big bowl. Take 1/2 kg chicken and then marinate for 1 hour in the mixture.
Soak Rice for 1/2 hr.

For garnishing:
Coriander leaves - a little
Fresh mint - a little
Raisins - 5 (optional)
Cashews - 8 (optional)

Method:
Take a large pan and heat some oil, add garam masala items and onions. Then add the mint leaves, ginger garlic paste and fry for a few minutes. Then add tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and salt. Fry this mix for few minutes adding a little water. Then add the chicken pieces and sauté for 15 minutes. Then close the pan with a lid after adding some water in it, allowing the chicken to cook.

One should cook the basmati rice separately, taking care that the rice are not over-cooked or sticky. In between you have to soak a pinch of saffron in a little water. And then roast cashews and raisins separately. Then in a large dist, put the layer of rice and spread a little saffron water on it. Then add some chicken masala and mix it. Then repeat the action of adding another layer of rice and spread chicken masala with the saffron water, until all rice is completed. Coat it with cashews and raisins, mint and coriander leaves and serve hot with raita.