Place a pan on the burner.  Add the below mentioned spices in it –

• Cumin – 1 tablespoon
• Black pepper – 1 tablespoon
• Cardamom – 5
• Star anise – 1
• Nutmeg – 4
• Cloves – 10
• Cinnamon – 3 pieces
• Coriander – 2 tablespoons.

Stir fry the spices in low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the contents to a mixy jar – powder it finely and keep aside.

Place a pan (3 or 5 litres capacity) on the big burner. Keep in low flame.

Let’s add the below items in the pan –

• Onion – 1 big size (chopped)
• Bay leaf – 2
• Green chilli – 2 (chopped)
• 10 cloves of garlic (chopped into small)
• Pour 100 ml oil

Stir the contents and let the contents fry for 2 minutes, till onions turn light brown.

Once onions get fried and turn light brown – then add the below

• 1 tablespoon of masala from the mixy jar (that we have prepared). Put it in the pan and stir well.
• Put ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon and stir well.
• Pour 1 litre of water.
• Add, turmeric powder – ¼ tablespoon.
• Salt – 1 tablespoon
• Dry lemon (take the normal lemon that we buy from shop – dry it in warm conditions for 10 or 15 or 20 days) – add it as whole fruit. This gives very good flavour for our dish. Dry lemon is also readily available in big supermarkets or you can try in Organic stores

Add all the chicken pieces – make sure that the pieces are completely immersed in water.

Close the pan with a lid. Then, turn flame to HIGH mode.

Let the contents boil for 3 minutes in high flame.

Then turn the flame to LOW– let the contents boil in low flame for another 7 minutes.

Now, open the lid. Remove the pieces of chicken and place them in a separate bowl.

After removing chicken pieces – add the rice (cleaned and soaked).
Stir well.

Keep flame in high– close the pan with a lid – let the contents boil in high flame for 1 to 2 minutes.

Once water boils in high flame (for 1 minute) – then turn off the flame.

Move this pan to the small burner. Close the pan with a suitable lid.

In low flame, let the rice and water boil for 10 minutes.

Take another small bowl. Add the below to make a masala mixture –

• The masala that is grinded and kept in mixy jar – full content
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tablespoon
• Salt – 1/4 tablespoon
• Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons
• Tomato sauce – 1 tablespoon
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
• Oil – 2 tablespoons

Stir well to mix up well.

Apply this masala mixture evenly over all the pieces of chicken (that is already boiled).

Keep the masala coated chicken pieces in a separate plate.

Place a dosa tawa – keep in high flame– pour 3 tablespoons of oil.

Once the oil becomes hot – turn the flame to LOW. Spread the oil evenly over the entire tawa.

Place the chicken pieces on the tawa with hot oil to fry them. Flame should be LOW.

Let the chicken pieces fry for 1 minute – then turn it to the other side – let that side too get heat and start frying for 1 minute – repeat it for 5 or 6 times till they get deep fried.

Check if the rice got cooked well. Remove the lid from pan – stir a little – check if water drained till bottom of vessel.

Turn off the flame – close the lid – let the rice remain in that heat.

Once the chicken pieces get fried – place them over the rice. Close the lid to retain heat.

Place a small pan on burner – Turn the flame to low. Then add the below –

• Ghee – 1 tablespoon
• Cashew – 10
• Almond – 10
• Stir well and let the nuts fry till they turn light brown in colour.

Pour the ghee and fried nuts over the rice and chicken. 

Our Mandhi Biryani is ready and can be tasted.