Ingredients
- ½ kg Chicken pieces. We have used drumsticks.
- Chicken Marination:
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Rice preparation:
- 200 grams Jeerakasala rice (You may use Basmati rice )
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamoms
- Chicken Preparation:
- 3 medium sized onions(200 grams) sliced
- 2 large tomatoes (200 grams) finely chopped
- ¼th cup garlic cloves
- 4 green chilies
- 2 inches ginger root
- ¼ th cup curd (whisked)
- 1 tbsp Thalassery Biryani Masala
- For layering
- 2tbsp fried cashewnuts
- 2 tbsp fried raisins
- 1 tbsp rose water
- Soak few saffron threads in 1 tbsp warm milk (optional ingredient)
- 1 cup fried onions: ½ quantity onions will be used in chicken gravy and other half in layering.
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- Other Ingredients:
- clarified butter
- oil
- salt
Method
- Make gashes on drumsticks with a knife.
- Make a marinade.In a large bowl, put turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder,Add garam masala powder and lime juice.Mix all ingredients.Coat drumsticks in the marinade.
- Allow chicken to rest in marination for 3-4 hours (refrigerate).
- After 3 hours of marination, wash and drain rice.If you are using Jeerakasala, you may cook without soaking.However, if basamti rice is used, soak rice for 30 mins.
- In a large pan, boil 2 and ½ cup of water.Add 1 tsp oil, ½ tsp salt.Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom.As water begins to simmer, add rice.As water begins to boil(1-2 mins), reduce heat and cook covered.Rice gets cooked in about 5 minutes.Take cooked rice off the heat.Spread cooked rice in large plate.
- In a mortar and pestle coarsely crush ginger, garlic and green chilies.
- In a large bottomed pan, heat mixture of 2 tbsp clarified butter and 2 tbsp oil.Add crushed mixture of ginger, garlic and chilies and fry for 30 seconds.
- Now add sliced onions and fry till onions turn tender.Onions become tender on low heat in about 6 mins.Now add chopped tomatoes.Add 1 tsp salt. Mix.Cook covered till tomatoes turn soft.Tomatoes become mushy in 6-7 mins.
- Now add half of coriander and mint leaves.Add Thalassery Biryani Masala powder.Bhunao for 2-3 minutes.As Oil starts oozing on the surface, add curd.Stir while adding curd and reduce heat to the lowest.
- Add marinated chicken drumsticks.Add in the remaining marinade.Mix.Add ¾th cup hot water, Salt to taste.Allow gravy to come to boil.
- As gravy comes to boil, reduce heat and cook covered.Chicken gets cooked in about 20 mins.Allow chicken to simmer for few mins to get a thicker consistency.Consistency should be of ½ cup gravy.Switch off the heat.Add crushed fried onions.Cover the chicken until layering.
- Assembling the Biryani.Pour 1 tsp ghee.Half quantity rice.Spread rice evenly. Add Mint leaves,coriander leaves, fried onions,fried raisins,fried cashew nuts,rose water,saffron milk. This completes first layer.
- Add remaining rice and spread it evenly.Add Mint leaves,coriander leaves, fried onions,fried raisins,fried cashew nuts,rose water,saffron milk. This completes last layer.
- We will seal the lid with dough.Biryani Handi must be placed on direct high heat for 2 mins.After 2 mins, transfer the handi on a hot griddle.
- Transfer handi on a hot iron griddle and cook on medium heat.Place a heavy vessel on the lid of handi.
- Cook Biryani for 12 mins.
- Serve this authentic and delicious biryani from Kerala with some raita.