Ingredients

• 1 kg - basmati rice or any other good rice, washed and soaked for an hour
• 2 kg - chicken, cut into fairly big pieces
• 3 - bay leaves
• 2 tsp - spice powder or garam masala
• 1/2 kg - tomatoes, chopped
• 3 - small sticks of cinnamon
• 4 - cloves
• 5 - cardamoms
• 1 - nutmeg flower/star anise
• 2 cups - oil or ghee
• salt to taste
• 6 - green chillies, ground
• 3 tbsp - ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp - chilli powder
• 1/2 kg - onions, sliced finely
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup - fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup - curd/yogurt

How to Make Chicken Biryani

• Wash the chicken and marinate with the spice powder, green chilli paste, curd/yogurt, half the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder for half an hour.
• Heat oil or ghee in a large vessel and add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg flower/star anise, remaining ginger-garlic paste and onions and saute for some time.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, mint leaves and chilli powder and simmer until the oil separates from the mixture and the tomatoes are reduced to pulp.
• Add the marinated chicken and salt and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is done.
• Remove the chicken pieces and keep aside.
• Add sufficient water to the gravy in the vessel so as to get about 7 glasses of liquid.
• Add the rice and cook until half done.
• Add the cooked chicken and mix well.
• Cover and cook on low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the biryani is almost dry.
• Serve hot with curd chutney.
• Recipe Courtesy: Anglo-Indian Recipes