Malabar Chicken Biriyani

Photo: Prajusha

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg

Basmathi Rice(Jeera Rice) - 1 kg

Onion - 6

gram Ginger - 50

Garlic - 8

Green Chilly - 4

cup Curd - 1

Kus Kus (poppy seeds) - 2tsp

teaspoon Biryani Masala powder - 3

Coriander leaves - 2tbsp

tablespoon Pudina leaves - 2

Curry leaves - 2tbsp

tablespoon Lime juice - 2

Dalda (Ghee) - 250gms

Cashew nuts -2tbsp

Raisins - 2tbsp

For Making Biriyanimasala powder

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 6

teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds) - 1

inch Cinnamon stick -1 piece

Nut meg (jathika) -1/4 piece

teaspoon Mace (jathi pathri) - 1

Preparation

Soak rice for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add half of chopped onions and saute till it changes its color. Add ginger- garlic-green chilly paste, chopped green chilly and saute well.

Add biriyani masala powder and once smell comes ,add chicken pieces to it and stir well.Add curd,kus kus,salt ,1/2 cup water and allow it to cook on medium flame.

Once chicken is half cooked, add lime juice, chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves and pudina leaves.once gravy becomes dry, remove from heat.

Heat ghee in a pan and add the remaining chopped onions and fry to golden brown.fry cashews and raisins in the same ghee and keep aside.

In the same pan, Add rice to it and fry for 5 ?10 minutes.Add required amount of water(double the quantity of rice),salt .cover and cook till done.

In a lar ge pot, layer the chicken pieces first then sprinkle garam masala powder over it,put a second layer of rice.then put garam masala powder,fried onions, cashews,raisins and repeat this until everything is used up.Sprinkle fried onions and coriander leaves on top.

Leave on low heat to keep it warm.

Serve with Raita and pappadam.