Chicken biryani

Chicken biryani ( pakki biryani/layer by layer biryani/ foil wali dum biryani):

One of the most demanding recipe on my to do list was to learn to make pakki biryani or layer by layer biryani what I call in my language which is accompanied with a layers of rice and chicken gravy and cooked covered with aluminum foil.

I had before tried out kacchi biryani or dum biryani where in the raw chicken and rice  are cooked together. This recipe is already posted in my blog earlier. 

Today I shall share with you pakkhi biryani recipe, where in chicken gravy is cooked first and then layered by cooked rice and taken to the final level. 

Ingredients and method:

Fried onions: 3 big fat onions long slitted.

Shallow fry these long slitted onions in required oil till golden brown and keep aside. Use half of them in marination. 

Dry masala: 1 tbsp jeera, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 5-6 cloves, 2 cinnamon, 2 masala elaichi, 5-6 green cardamom, 1 javitri, 1 /4 part nutmeg, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp peppercorns, 1 star anise. Use half of it in marination.

Wet masala: roasted red chillies 7-8, green chillies 5-6, cashewnuts 7-8, 5-6 almonds, 1 inch ginger, 10-12 garlic cloves. 

Marination of chicken:

Wash chicken 3 times. 

 marinate it with:

Half of above dry masala, wet masala, finely chopped fistful of Pudina leaves, coriander leaves, curd 200gm, salt, 1 lemon juice, 2 tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp haldi powder, half of fried onions, oil 2 tbsp. 

Keep marinated chicken in refrigerator overnight.

Cooking of chicken gravy:

2 tbsp oil, khada masala-1 bay leaf, 3-4 cloves, 2 cinnamon, 2 cardamom, 1 masala elaichi, 1 javitri. Add 2 big onions finely chopped. Saute till golden. Add 2 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped. Saute till mashy. Add marinated chicken. Saute for 2 mins. Add 1 cup of hot water and let the chicken cook for 10-15 mins. Add finely chopped pudina leaves and coriander leaves. You are done.

Prepare rice.

Wash and soak 5 cups or more (depending on quantity of people) of basmati rice in water for 1 hr.

Boil water, add khada masalas- 1 bay leaf, 2-3 cloves, 1 cinnamon, 1 star anise, 1 masala elaichi, 2 cardamom, 1 javitri. Once water boils, add 1 lemon juice, and 2-3 tbsp salt. Add drained rice, cook for 5 mins till 80% done. Drain the rice.

Now layering of your biryani.

In big vessel, add 2 tbsp oil at bottom.

1) Add first layer of rice, then put chicken gravy along with pieces.

2) Add second layer of rice. Add drops of orange food color, drops of yellow food color at few places. Place few fried onions. Add chopped pudina leaves, chopped coriander leaves, biryani masala, 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp milk, 2 tbsp ghee. 

3) Again put third layer of rice and then chicken gravy.

4) fourth layer of rice and repeat the second step procedure on rice.

5) repeat the third step and finish off with your chicken gravy.

6) repeat the second step procedure again and you are done. 

Cover your vessel with aluminum foil.

Place your vessel on flame. Cook on medium flame for 10 mins. Then place your vessel on tawa and cook on low flame for 15 mins. 

You are done. Open your biryani after 10 mins.

Serve hot by removing from the sides from down to top as shown below.

Enjoy the visuals!!

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