Chicken Biryani - in my version

I had never prepared chicken biryani till date though I had prepared fried rice, pulao, prawns biryani etc. This time I wanted to try my hands on this and believe me to my surprise it turned out very well and tasty. My husband wanted some change in the regular course meal so he asked me to prepare chicken biryani on Sunday. I too wanted to try out something different so cooked. My husband loves food and always has to habit of checking whats special everyday :) In the evening when he came home from work he was curious to taste the biryani to see how it has come out. Out from the kitchen he asked me did I ever prepare chicken biryani before. This question put me into worry as it was the first time I was preparing it, which he did not know. I asked him why? He replied its come out very well and tasty. I had a sigh of relief and was happy. Finally my efforts paid :) Thought of sharing it with you too. Do try it out.

 Ingredients:

• Basmati rice  -  500gms
• Chicken - 500 gms (cut into pieces)
• curds - 1cup
• Ginger garlic paste - 21/2 tsps
• green chilli paste - (made from grinding 4 to 5 chillies)
• red chilli powder - 1tsp 
• cumin powder - 1 tsp
• coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• mint leaves chopped -few
• coriander leaves chopped - smalll bunch
• juice of 1 lime
• 100ml milk
• saffron a  pinch
• salt
• ghee
• cashew nuts  -few
• raisins - few
• onions  - 2 big (finely sliced)
• cardamoms - 5
• cloves - 5
• cinnamon sticks - 2
• chicken stock - 500ml

Preparation: 

1. Slice the onions and fry them in ghee until brown and keep aside. Also fry the cashew nuts and raisins separately until light brown and set aside.
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste and keep aside for 5 mins. After 5 mins add the green chilli paste, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, turmeric powder, chopped coriander and mint leaves, lime juice and little fried onions and finally the curds and keep for 1 hour.
3. Wash rice and soak for 1/2 an hour. Meanwhile prepare the chicken stock. In a cooker add ghee and fry the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Add rice and just stir for sometime so that rice gets the flavour of the garam masala. Add the chicken stock and take 1-2 whistles not more. ( Qty of rice to stock is for 1 cup rice we need to add 2 cups stock). Cool the cooker by placing it under water and open immediately do not keep closed for long as rice gets overcooked.
4. Use the oil in which you fried the onions and add little more ghee if needed add the marinated chicken to it and cook the chicken till tender. Let the gravy become slight thick don't make it thin.Check for the spices if you find it a bit less spicy or bland do add little more of chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder as per your taste. Gravy will be a little sour to taste that's because of curds and lime juice but you need not worry as consistency will be fine when you mix with the rice. (I was worried about it but it went well once I mixed the rice to it)
5. In a thick bottomed vessel add the chicken gravy and above it add the rice sprinkle fried onions, raisins, nuts and again a layer of gravy and then rice and finally add the saffron dissolved in milk. Cover the lid and keep on very low flame by placing the vessel on a tawa with the mouth of the vessel sealed with wheat flour. Serve hot with raitha.

Alterations: 1. I forgot the add the saffron to it yet it tasted good. So saffron is optional if you don't have it. If you add it gives good flavour.

2. I don't like layered biryani so after adding the gravy and rice in layers i finally mixed the biryani and garnished with left over onions and nuts. I didn't reheat it after mixing as I have mentioned above which is actually the procedure but kept the vessel closed tight since I did not have such a big tawa to place the vessel on it. I just reheated the biryani in the microwave while serving. It was equally good :)