Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani is a Hyderabadi dish based on basmati rice and meat. Popular variations use chicken or goat.

The blending of Mughlai and Telangana cuisines in the kitchens of the Nizam, ruler of the historic Hyderabad State, resulted in the creation of Hyderabadi Biryani.

Hyderabadi biryani is of two types, the Kacchi (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani.

Kachchi Akhnni biryani is prepared with raw meat, which is marinated in yoghurt and then cooked along with the rice by sealing the handi (vessel) with a layer of dough, and is cooked on dum - steaming over coals. This is a challenging process as it requires meticulous attention to time and temperature to avoid over- or under-cooking the meat.

In Pakki biryani, the meat marinating time is shorter, and the meat is cooked before being layered with the rice and cooked in a dough-sealed vessel. In Pakki Yakhni (with cooked gravy), the ingredients are already cooked before baking.

The gravy is redolent of mace, ittar and kewra. Saffron and cardamom are also used.

There is also a vegetarian version of the biryani, which is made from vegetables such as carrots, peas, cauliflower and potato.

Ingredients:

1/2 of cut up whole chicken(cut into medium size pcs).
3 cups basmati rice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kala jeera
2 tbsp yellow color dissolved in water
2 tbsp orange color dissolved in water
1/2 big onion sliced
few mint n cilantro leaves

Marinate the chicken with the folowing for 2 hrs:



1 big cinnamon stick broken into 2
2 bay leafs
2 black cardomon
2 mace
5 cloves
4 elaichi
1 tsp kala jeera
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp lemon juice
Paste of -ginger,garlic,8 small green chillies,handfull of mint n cilantro leaves.
salt
2 tbsp oil/ghee

Method:

As said above marinate the chicken with the listed ingredients for 2 hrs at room temperature.

Next take the basmati rice wash n soak it a deep container with water for 30 mins.

Meanwhile deep fry the onion slices to make fried onions,fry till they start to brown in clolor,remove onto a plate with a tissue.

Now put the container with rice on the stove top on medium high heat,to this add the salt.

Taste the water ,u should be able to taste the salt,to this add the bay leaf n kala jeera n oil.



Once the water starts to boil u will notice that the rice starts to pop to the top,one it starts to boil let it cook for 3 mins.The rice should be half done i.e it should be bit grainy.

Immediately remove n strain the rice.

Next take a deep bottomed pan n apply oil to the inside,put the marinated chicken into this pan.

Sprinkle some mint n cilantro leaves and half of the fried onions.



Now put the half cooked rice on top of the chicken n evenly spread it out.

On top of the rice sprinkle rest of the fried onions,mint n cilantro leaves

Also add bit of ghee and the yellow n orange color(or even saffron strands soaked in water)



Cover the top of the pan with aluminium foil,put a kitchen towl on top of it n cover it with a tight lid.

Put the stove on heat 3 n let it cook for 30-45 mins.

Remove from stove top n carefully remove the foil,becareful not ot burn ur hands as hot steam will escape from it.

Serve it with cool raita and mirchi ka salan(i already posted the recipe for it)

Note

u should be very careful while half cooking the rice,just be near the stove n keep looking as it cooks very fast.Remember we are doing the dum type of biryani so the stove heat should be as low as possible (mostly on 3 as said for electric stoves).
Instead of covering it with foil n kitchen towl u can alternatively seal the lid n pan togeather with chapathi dough.