Chicken Biryani (Version 2)

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 cup
Coconut milk - 1 1/4 cup
Water - 2 3/4 cup
Onions - 5 (sliced thinly)
Tomatoes (ripe) - 4 (chopped)
Ginger - 2 inches
Garlic - 10 cloves (small)
Mint leaves - a handful
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp.
Curd - 3 tbsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 4 (slit into halves longitudinally)
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Mace - 2
Kalpasi/Dagad phool - 2
Black cardamom - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper - 4
Cloves - 2
Salt
Oil
Ghee - 3 tsp.
Lemon juice - a few drops (optional)

Method:
Wash the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Grind ginger, garlic, cinnamon, mace, cloves, black pepper, cumin seeds, dagad phool and black cardamom.
Marinate chicken pieces with ground paste, green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curd, salt, chilli powder and keep aside.
Soak the rice in water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Add bay leaves, onions and sauté till the onions change to golden color.
Now add the tomatoes and sauté till it becomes mushy.
Add the marinated chicken with masala and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
Now add the soaked rice without water and 2 tsp. of ghee.
Stir gently.
Add coconut milk and water.
Check for salt and add if required.
Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and add the weight.
Pressure cook till one whistle and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat after 5 minutes.
When the pressure drops, remove the lid and spread the rice on a large wide plate.
Sprinkle the remaining ghee and add lemon juice before serving.
Also remove the bay leaves before serving.
Enjoy this tasty biryani with chicken fry and raita.
Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Cardamom Seeds" event.

Posted in: Chicken, lunch, Rice