Biryani is the most favorite dish among we Indians. There are many versions of it. Here, lets see the making of Punjabi version of chicken biryani and taste it.
Ingredients
- Chicken – 1/2 kg
- Basmati Rice – 1/2 kg
- Red chilli – 3
- Pepper – 1/4 tablespoon
- Coriander – 1/2 tablespoon
- Cumin – 1/4 tablespoon
- Anise – 1/4 tablespoon
- Star anise – little pinch
- Javitri – few
- Bay leaf – 5
- Cardamom- 3
- Clove – 3
- Cinnamon – 3
- Salt – 2 1/2 tablespoon
- Chilli powder – 1/2 tablespoon
- Ginger garlic paste – 3 tablespoon
- Curd – 100 ml
- Tomato – 1
- Oil – 150 ml
- Onion – 2
- Mint leaves – few
- Coriander leaves – few
- Potato – 150 grams
- Water – 2 litre
- Lemon – 1
Things to be done before we start cooking
- Rinse 1/2 kg of basmati rice softly in clean water. Repeat it again to clean it fully and then soak it in a bowl with fresh water. Let the rice soak in water for 1 hour – Keep it aside.
- Grind together 100 grams of ginger and garlic using a mixer jar – to obtain the required ‘ginger-garlic paste’ – keep it aside in a small bowl.
- Tomato – 1 (medium sized – chop it into small pieces)
- Onion – 2 medium sized – chopped into small pieces.
- Potato – 3 medium sized (or 150 grams) – chop into medium sized pieces.
- Keep the cut potato pieces in a bowl with water – to avoid discoloration.
Steps to Prepare
- Take a mixer jar – then add the below into it –
- Red chilli – 3
- Pepper – 1/4 tablespoon
- Coriander – 1/2 tablespoon
- Cumin – 1/4 tablespoon
- Anise – 1/4 tablespoon
- Javitri – few (2 or 3)
- Star Anise – 1/4 of one star
- Clove – 3
- Cardamom – 3
- Cinnamon – 3 (small pieces)
- Run the mixer machine – grind all the contents to a coarse powder and transfer them to a small bowl.
- Take a big bowl – then add the below into it
- Chicken – 1/2 kg
- Masala prepared in ‘step: 1’
- Salt – 1/2 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tablespoon
- Kashmiri Chilli powder – 1/2 tablespoon
- Curd – 100 ml
- Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tablespoons
- Tomato – 1 (1 medium sized – chopped into small pieces)
- Mix them well using a spoon.
- Leave the chicken to marinate in the masala mix for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Place a pan on the big burner – let the pan get a little hot.
- Pour oil – 100 ml. Let the oil get hot – then turn the flame to LOW mode. Then, add the onions (2 medium sized – chopped) to the hot oil. Start stirring it till onions fry to a golden brown colour.
- Remove 75% of the fried onions to another bowl – keep it aside. The remaining 25% of fried onions will remain in the pan itself.
- Put the below into the pan carrying 25% of fried onions –
- Chicken pieces marinated in masala mix
- Coriander leaves – few
- Mint leaves – few
- Green chilli – 3 (Chop into small pieces)
- Potato – 3 (3 medium sized potatoes & chopped to medium sized pieces)
- Stir well.
- Close the pan with a lid. Keep the flame in LOW mode. Let the contents cook in low flame for next 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid.
- Keep flame in high mode. Put 1 bay leaf.
- Let the water evaporate in high flame for 2 minutes. We will get a concentrated masala now.
- Keep the pan aside for now.
- Place another 3-litre vessel on the big burner.
- Pour water – 2 litres.
- Bay leaf – 1 (big one)
- Cardamom – 2
- Cinnamon – 1
- Lemon – cut half of the lemon into thin slices and add it to water after removing seeds.
- Salt – 2 tablespoons
- Close the vessel with a lid. Keep the flame in HIGH for the water to boil.
- Once the water boils – we can see steam coming out of lid sides or from hole in top of lid. Remove the lid now. Add half kg of rice that has been soaked for 1 hour, to the boiling water.
- Let the rice cook to 95%. Drain the water using a steel strainer.
- Place another 3-litre vessel on the burner. Flame in high mode. Pour 3 tablespoons of oil and shake the vessel to spread it evenly over the surface of vessel.
- Once the oil gets hot, turn the flame to low. Put in a little of chicken, potato and masala mix (from the pan). Spread it evenly over the surface.
- Now,
- put a little of boiled rice over the masala (use just 1/4 of the cooked rice now).
- Place 3 thinly sliced tomatoes (take 2 medium sized tomatoes – and chop them to thin slices) over the rice. The remaining slices will be placed in later part.
- Sprinkle a little of coriander and mint leaves all over the rice.
- Now put a little of chicken, potato and masala gravy over the rice again.
- Put another portion (1/4) of cooked rice over the chicken gravy.
- Spread it evenly.
- Pour a little of food colorant (orange or yellow) on the rice. Place another 3 slices of tomatoes on the rice. Sprinkle few of coriander and mint leaves.
- In low flame continue –
- Now, put the remaining chicken, potato and masala gravy over the rice.
- Put the remaining portion of cooked rice over the chicken gravy.
- Spread it evenly.
- Pour a little of food colorant (orange or yellow) on the rice.
- Sprinkle the fried onions over the rice.
- Close the vessel with a lid – in Low flame let the contents get cooked for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid after 10 minutes. Turn off the flame. Stir it from bottom to top.
Thus, our biryani is ready.