Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

(Taken from myspicychicken )

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani - Meat and rice are cooked in an airtight pot on very low flame so that the rice is cooked in the flavors of the meat and gets the aroma of the meat. "Pakhi" = meat is pre-cooked. For chicken, its not required

Marinade :

Chicken - 2 Lbs (bone on meat)
Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Garlic, Ginger - a few cloves, around 1/2 inch stick to get 1 tbsp paste
Chilli Powder - 2-3 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2-3 tsp
Chillies - 12 (small)
Mint Leaves - 1 cup (chopped)
Cilantro - 1 Cup (chopped)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : To make, Grind :
Peppercorns - 10
Cloves - 10
Cardamom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp (use black cumin ?)
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Lime Juice - 1
Salt

(You can mince the chillies, ginger, garlic to make a fine paste)

Marinade overnight (preferably).

To oik, fry :

Onion - 1 Large, Sliced.

Soak Saffron in hot milk (If no milk, add saffron as is)

In a big pot, bring water to a boil. Add :

Cardamom - 6
Cloves - 3
Bay Leaves - 2
Bay Flower - 1 (optional)
Cumin - 1 tsp (black cumin if you have it)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - about a fistful (enough for the 4 cups of rice)

Mix well. Add the
Basmati Rice - 4 cups ( I usually use 5)

Continue to cook till you get a "boil" - the rice should roll over with the boiling water (about 2-3 min). Drain the rice and keep aside.

(At this point, the rice has absorbed a lot of the moisture)

Arrange the chicken and rice in layers. From bottom to top :

Oill - 1/2 cup
Chicken pieces
Oil to sprinkle
Boiled Rice - 1/2 of the portion above
Oil to sprinkle
Fried Onions - 1/2 of the portion above
Saffron Milk - 1/2 of the portion abobe
Boiled Rice - 1/2 of the portion above
Oil to sprinkle
Fried Onions - 1/2 of the portion above
Saffron Milk - 1/2 of the portion abobe

Seal the container and make it airtight using aluminum foil. Put a heavy object on top of the lid if required so that the steam doesn't escape easily.

Cook (time is important, as the chicken is raw - you dont want to overcook it)
8-10 minutes on high (I use 10 min)
20 min on medium low

Let it sit for 10 min before opening it. Taste for salt. Add Lime if you like.

My Variation :

Prepare Amma's Masala (D)
Add this to the onion layer. Since there are already tons of green chillies in the marinade, reduce the number of red and green chillies in Masala D. This also gives the biryani a brownish color.

Chicken Pulao - Suvir Saran

Puree
Onion - 1
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - 2 1/2 inch
Green chili - 1

Heat oil in a large oven proof casserole. Add the pureed onion mixture and cook, stirring until it turns tan (15 min). As the onion starts to stick, add water and scrape the brown bits.

Add
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 3/4 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

and cook, stirring 1 min. Then add

yogurt - 3 tbsp and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates and oil begins to seperate out of the mixture. Repeat this process, untill all the

yogurt ( 1 cup) has been used up.

Add the
chicken - 3 lbs, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into thirds.

Stir, until chicken turns opaque. About 3 min. Add 1/2 cup water, turn the heat down and simmer 5 min.

Add
Rice - 2 cups
Salt
Remaining Water - 3 cups
Lime Juice - 1

and stir gently to combine all the ingredients without breaking the rice. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium, then cover and simmer vigourously for 5 min.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cover the casserole tightly with aluminium foil, and then the lid, if there is one. Bake 20 min. Remove from the oven, and let stand for 10 min.

Lamb Chops (Suvir Saran)

2 pounds rib lamb chops, cut 1 to 1 ½ tsp thick. Cut three of four deep slashes in them.

Mix :

Paprika (1 tbsp)
Cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp)
Ground mace ( ¼ tsp)
Ground nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
Garam masala (1 tbsp)
Ground toasted cumin seeds (1 tbsp)
Garlic (8 cloves, minced)
Ginger (3 inch, mined)
Vinegar (malt, ¼ cup) ..
Lemon (1)
Salt (1tsp)
Yogurt (strained, ¾ cup)

In a bowl. Add the chops, toss to coat in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to high temperature. Add 2 tbsp oil to the chops, reseal and massage between the hands.

Keep for 20 min, Take it out, brush with butter, and turn, cook for 5 more min.

OR

Use broiler ; pre-heat ; 5 min on each side ; then 3-4 min

Chilli Chicken (Amma's)

Onions – cut long (1 big)
Chillies (6-7)
Ginger (1 inch, chopped)
Garlic (4-5 cut long)\
Cloves – chakke (4-5 small)
Cinnamon (4-5)
Coriander leaves (chopped)

Use bony chicken.

Heat a pan. Add 3 sp oil.
Add butter/ghee – 3 sp
Add chillies first.
Add the rest after the chillies.

Add regular masala (C) (See Chicken Gravy)

Add ginger / coriander leaves at end. Don’t add ginger initially, as it will become bitter.

Add pepper ( ¼ sp)
another sp of ghee
salt (2 sp)

Add the boiled chicken to the masala. Add 1 sp lemon

Chicken Biryani (Amma's)

Add Chicken Gravy recipe to basmati rice.
Add 2 sp ghee / butter.
Add saffron – kesari)

Chicken Gravy (Amma's)

Original Recipe

Masala (A)

Fry:
Onion – cut long (1)
Garlic (7-8 cloves)
Green chilli (6-7)
Red Chilli (6-7)
Cinnamon – chakke (5-6 small pieces)
Cloves – lavanga (4-5 small)
Pepper ( ½ sp)
Coriander seeds (3 sp) or powder (2 sp)
Poppy seeds – white – gasgase (1 sp)

My addition : Cardamom (3-4 pods)

Masala (B)

Grind:

Tomato (1)
Ginger (1 inch)
Coconut (3 tbsp)
Coriander leaves (2 sp, chopped)

Mix (A) with (B) and grind with little water. That’s Masala (D)


Masala (C) regular masala

Grind :

Onion (1 small)
Garlic (3-4)
Ginger (1 sm piece)
Cloves (3)
Cinnamon (3)
Coriander Leaves (2 tbsp, chopped)



Cut chicken. Add turmeric powder (1 sp), salt (1 tbsp)

Heat oil. Add
Onions (1/2 or lesser)
Regular masala (C)
Add little butter or 2 sp ghee
Fry for 2 min.

Add chicken slowly. Mix.

Let it simmer for 10 min in a closed pan. The chicken smell should go away.

In the meantime, boil 2 cups of water, depending on gravy level. NEVER ADD COLD WATER TO CHICKEN. It will become leathery.

Add a little watter to the chicken. Let it boil for a while (let it sweat)

Finally, add Masala (D) to the boiled chicken (More for chicken curry, ½ for chicken gravy).
Add salt.
Add lemon ( ¼ sp)

Notes

1. Always add pepper to chicken
2. Adding ghee to chicken helps.
3. Instead of preparing masala (C), here is a shortcut : Add chopped onions, Minced Garlic. Ginger, Cloves , Cinnamon and a tomato directly onto chicken. (my variation – leads to a milder, tangier chicken curry)
4. Works best with boned chicken