Chicken Biryani

Directions

Brown onions

1. Slice onions. Heat oil in a large frying pan and shallow fry the onions for about 15 minutes until they are deep, golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside. Note: you can also use purchased fried onions.

For the chicken marinade

1. Mix together yogurt, salt, lemon juice, chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. Add in chicken and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the chicken curry

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add ghee, chopped onion and fry onion until golden brown. Add ginger/garlic paste, whole spices and tomatoes and cook until they are mushy.

2. Add the marinated chicken to the pan and turn your burner to low heat. Let the chicken cook while you prepare your rice. About 5-7 minutes. Turn off pan and set aside

For the rice

1. Rinse your rice twice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Do not miss this step.

2. In a large pot, add water and salt and bring to a boil. Add whole spices (cardamom pods, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, mace and bay leaf). Drain water from soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the rice still has a bite to it. It will finish cooking in the final steps. Drain rice completely and set aside. Do not remove the spices.

Saffron mixture

1. When you are ready to assemble the biryani, add butter in a small pan, add milk and saffron strands. Warm mixture until butter is melted and the milk is orange in color. Set aside.

Layering the Biryani

1. Heat a heavy bottom Dutch oven and add some of the saffron milk, followed by ½ the rice, golden fried onions, slit green chilis, fresh cilantro, fresh mint and then your cooked chicken.

2. Next, layer with more saffron milk, gravy from chicken, ½ rice, fried onions, mint, cilantro, more gravy and the remainder of the saffron milk mixture. Drizzle the top with ghee.

3. Cover Dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn your burner to the lowest setting and set a tawa or griddle on the burner and place your Dutch oven on top. Continue to cook/steam for 30 minutes. This helps cook the chicken throughout and also steams the rice to cook to doneness.

4. Once the Biryani is cooked, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the lid.

5. Serve hot with onion raita and warm roti

6. Make Shorba gravy (link below) to spoon over each serving.