Ahmedi biryani

Ingredients
500 grams chicken,
1 cup basmati rice(long grain),
3 cups water,
1 inch cinnamon,
1 big bay leaf,
2 cloves,
2 cardamoms,
5 black pepper corns,
1 tablespoon curd(yoghurt),
1 tablespoon chopped ginger garlic,
1 big green chilly,
½ tablespoon chopped coriander,
1 onion,
½ cup hot water,
1 teaspoon sugar,
½ teaspoon red chilly powder,
½ teaspoon coriander powder,
1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter),
salt to taste.
Preparation time
50 minutes

Serves
2

HOW TO PREPARE
Take a large pot and pour the three cups water. Then add the rice, half of all the spices and salt. Mix it well and cook till the rice is half cooked. Drain the water completely and spread out the rice on a big platter. Let it cool. Finely chop the onions and slit the green chilly in the centre and keep them aside. Now in another pan heat the clarified butter. When the ghee begins bubbling add the remaining spices and sauté till an aroma begins to rise. Now put in the chopped onions and sauté till golden brown. Add the chicken pieces, masala powders, green chilly, coriander leaves, ginger-garlic, salt and sugar. Pour in the hot water. Mix it well and cover, simmer and cook for 20 minutes or till the chicken is soft. Then pour the yoghurt and cook till the gravy reaches your desired level of thickness. Now take a big pot and smear it’s inside walls with melted ghee/butter. Then put a layer of rice, then a layer of chicken. In this way put in all the rice and chicken in layers. Cover with a lid. Now make some dough from wheat flour and with that dough seal the edges of the pan so that its air tight. Then take a tava and place it on the flame. Keep this sealed pot over it so that it’s not directly on the fire. Cook for another 25 minutes on a low flame till the rice is ready. You can cook in a preheated oven too. Garnish with fried cashew nuts and fried onion slices.