I am back...with Chicken Biryani!!!

Helloooooooooooooooo my darlings!!! I have to start of by apologizing ..for not being in touch for so long. I truly am sorry. If you remember, I was in Canada for a bit, on a project. As of August though, my job finished and I was permanently back to Dubai to be with A!! In the excitement of things, I have to be honest, I did become a teeny tiny bit lazy, but i promise, I never did forget you guys. I really mean that! This chicken biryani is proof of that. I made this in August, for my father in law's birthday, and saved up the pics for you guys. See, so sweet of me right..:P. Yeah okay, that was a bit too much even for me. Enough of me already, how have you been? I have to thank you for being so supportive and still checking out my blog and even becoming members, despite me being so inactive. So, I have decided to make it up to you by posting a scrumptious chicken biryani recipe! Biryani can actually be made in several ways. There's no hard and fast rule to make a biryani. Some people cook the chicken and rice together, while others, like myself cook it separately. Likewise, some people marinate the chicken with all the ingredients listed below under "For Marination" and include curd as well, but I don't. Irrespective, made in the right proportions and with an ample amount of love, any dish turns out to be scrumptious! This biryani is very special, coz it's my mom's very own recipe. The first time I ever made this was for my sister in law, brother in law and mother in law..and they absolutely loved it. Enough with the melodrama already, let's get this show on the road!!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 kilos chicken

For Marination

• Coriander powder- 3 tablespoons
• Chilly powder- 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
• Salt- To taste
• Lemon juice - 1 lemon

For Gravy

• Onions - 4
• Garlic - 1 whole piece
• Ginger - 1 whole piece
• Green chilies - 7
• Curd - 1/2 litre
• Tomatoes - 1 big or 2 small
• Coriander leaves - A handful
• Mint leaves (Pudina leaves) - A handful
• Oil - 4-5 tablespoons

For Rice

• Basmati Rice - 3 cups (1 cup=240 ml)
• Boiling water - 2 cups
• Butter - 1 tablespoon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon- 1 small piece
• Cardamom - 2 
• Salt - To taste

METHOD

• First, marinate the chicken with ingredients under "For Marination" section. Ideally, it would be nice to marinate it overnight. However, if you don't have time, marinate it for at least 30 minutes. Also, using your blender, blend yogurt along with coriander and mint leaves and set aside. 
• Start preparing the gravy. For this, pour oil into a non stick vessel and wait for it to heat.
•  Once oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute till they turn slightly brown. 
• Now add the onions and a little salt, so as to cook the onions faster. Wait for the onions to turn golden brown.
• Now add the tomatoes and mix together till it turns into a fine paste. 
• Finally add the chicken and the curd mixture, mix thoroughly and keep closed for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
• During this time, was the basmati rice at least 3 times, pour water so that it is just above the rice, and set this aside. You can start preparing the rice once the gravy is ready.
• Take the pan in which you will prepare the rice. Into this, pour 2 cups of boiling water, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, lemon juice and butter and wait for it to boil thoroughly. 
• After 20-25 minutes, check the chicken gravy. It should be ready. Check salt levels, switch of the flame and set aside.
• Time to prepare the rice. Once the water starts boiling, add the washed rice to this and stir it once. Keep stirring every couple of minutes. Basmati rice is tricky, because if overcooked, it becomes really sticky. The rice needs to be only half cooked, so once you pick a grain of rice and squeeze it, one half will remain solid while the other half gets mashed. It should take approximately 5-7 minutes to cook the rice. 
• Once the rice is semi cooked, switch off the flame and drain the rice to remove all water. 
• Now, we need to combine the rice and chicken so as to make the biryani. For this, take a non stick sauce pan, and butter the bottom.
• Pour the gravy at the bottom of the dish, and layer the rice above. Put a few chicken pieces on the rice and put more rice on top, until you finally end up with rice on the very top. 
• Keep this pan on the lowest flame on your stove and cook for approx 30 minutes, so that the semi cooked rice gets completely cooked.
• As a garnish, set aside a few coriander and mint leaves and sprinkle on top once the flame is switched off.

Tada, chicken biryani is ready! Serve with a delicious cucumber raita, papad and pickle. Don't you want to see the final results?

Scrumptious Biryani!

Closeup of the biryani!

So, what do you guys think? Promise me that you will try this out and let me know, okay? So, till next time, adios amigos, take care and God bless!