Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: In a bowl, combine all Marinade ingredients and mix well. Apply the marinade to the chicken pieces and let it rest for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prepare Rice: Wash the Rice thoroughly and soak it in water for at least 1 hour. This step helps the rice cook evenly and become fluffy.
- Cook Rice: In a large pot, add Water, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, shah jeera, salt, and ghee (from Rice Cooking). Bring the water to a boil.
- Add Rice: Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook on medium heat until the rice is 60% cooked. It should still have a slight bite to it. Drain the rice and spread on a large tray to stop cooking.
- Sauté Aromatic Paste: In a large clay pot or traditional biryani vessel, heat Coconut oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion from Aromatic Paste and sauté until golden brown.
- Add Aromatics: Add the green chilies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves from Aromatic Paste to the pot and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Herbs: Add the chopped mint and coriander leaves from Aromatic Paste and sauté for a few seconds.
- Prepare Masala: Add the sliced onions (from Masala) to the pot and sauté until golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften.
- Add Masala Spices: Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, black pepper powder, mace powder, and nutmeg powder (from Masala) to the pot and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices.
- Cook Chicken: Add the marinated chicken to the masala and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. Cover the pot and cook until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add water if needed to prevent sticking.
- Layering: Remove half of the cooked chicken and masala from the pot. Spread half of the partially cooked rice evenly over the remaining chicken. Spread the remaining chicken over the rice layer.
- Final Layer: Spread the remaining rice over the chicken layer.
- Dum Cooking: Sprinkle fried onions, cashews, and raisins (from Garnish) over the rice layer. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ghee over the rice (optional). Sprinkle rose water, kewra water, and saffron milk over the rice.
- Seal the Pot: Cover the pot tightly with a lid. Seal the edges with dough to create a perfect dum.
- Cook on Low Heat: Place the pot on a very low heat (or on a griddle or tava) and cook for 40-50 minutes. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld together.
- Rest: Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before opening the lid.
- Serve: Gently fluff the biryani with a fork and serve hot. Garnish with additional chopped coriander, mint and quartered hard boiled eggs.
