Chettinad Chicken biriyani
Ingredients
Chicken pieces with bone - 3/4 kg (750 gms)
Basmati rice - 4 cups (740 gms)
Onion large-sized (sliced) - 3 nos
Tomato large-sized (chopped) - 3 nos
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/4 bunch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Fried cashew nuts - 20 nos
Water - 4 cups
Bay leaves - 2 nos
Oil - 5 to 6 tbsp
Masala to grind
(Grind the below ingredients to smooth paste)
Green chilli - 10 nos
Ginger chopped - 2" pieces
Garlic cloves - 8 nos
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cardamom - 3 nos
Cloves - 6 nos
Water - 1 tsp
Method
1. Marinate chicken pieces with ground masala paste, chopped mint leaves, and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
2. Mix 2 cups of coconut milk with 4 cups of water.
3. Soak basmati rice in coconut milk and water mixture for half an hour.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan with lid, when oil is hot add bay leaves and onions. Saute onions until they are slightly browned.
5. Now add the marinated chicken along with masala & and mint leaves to the sauteed onions and fry until the chicken turns pale in color.
6. Next add the chopped tomatoes, curd, red chili powder, and the rest of turmeric powder to the pan.
7. Saute well until tomatoes are cooked, add a few tbsps of water to the pan, and stir well everything.
8. When the light gravy is formed, reduce heat, cover the pan with a tight lid, and leave the chicken to cook in gravy for 10 mins.
9. After 10 mins add coconut milk & and water mixture from soaked basmati rice and the required salt for making biryani to the gravy.
10. Turn the heat to high and bring the biryani gravy to boil.
11. When gravy starts boiling add soaked basmati rice to the pan and stir well.
12. When 1/2 of the water is absorbed by the rice, reduce heat to low, cover the pan with a tight lid, and cook biryani rice until tender.
13. Finally garnish Chettinad chicken biryani with coriander leaves and fried cashew nuts.
Serve hot with onion raita, plain salna, and boiled egg.