Dum Biryani

Ingredients
500 grams chicken,
½ cup curd(yoghurt),
1 cup basmati rice(long grain),
1 tablespoon milk,
3 cups water,
1 inch cinnamon,
2 bay leaves,
2 cloves,
2 green cardamoms,
2 black cardamoms,
½ teaspoon black pepper corns,
½ teaspoon cumin seeds,
½ tablespoon chopped ginger,
½ tablespoon chopped garlic,
1 blade mace,
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg,
½ cup mix of tightly packed coriander and mint leaves,
4 tablespoons poppy seeds,
1 tomato,
1 onion,
1 teaspoon saffron dissolved in a tablespoon warm milk,
3 potatoes halved,
boiled and deep fried,
2 large onions cut into roundels,
2 tablespoons ghee(clarified butter),
salt to taste.

Preparation time
30 minutes

Serves
2

HOW TO PREPARE
Finely chop the onion, tomato each separately and set it aside. Now take a frying pan and pour 1 teaspoon ghee and fry half the onion roundels till dark brown. In a blender put the fried onion roundels, ginger, garlic, mace, nutmeg, green chillies, coriander-mint leaves, poppy seeds, tomato, onion and half of the cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms black and green, black pepper corns and bay leaves and make a paste of all these ingredients. Now cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and place it in a big bowl. Make slits on each side of every piece and then add the curd, red chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric and the paste with some salt. Now mix it all up and met it marinate for two hours at least. In a pot pour the water, milk and bring to heat. Add the rice, remaining spices except the cumin seeds, salt to taste and mix it all up. Now cook till the rice is half cooked. Drain the extra water and spread out the rice on a big platter. Let it cool for a while. Heat the ghee in a pan and when the oil is hot add the cumin seeds. Sauté till its golden brown. Put in the chicken with the marinade and fry for five minutes or till the chicken turns a light brown. Add the potato halves and mix it up. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or till the chicken is done. Now smear melted ghee on the inside of the pan and lay the chicken and then a layer of rice. Make alternate layers like this till you have put in all the rice and chicken. Now cover with a silver foil and then put a tight lid so that the pot must become air tight. Then put a tava on the stove and this pot over it and cook for ten to twelve minutes till the rice is done or cook in a pre heated oven. Garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins and serve. When serving ensure you put the spoon right inside so that you get the rice out in layers

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.