Ingredients

• 1 - whole chicken(cut into pieces),
• 1/2 kg - basmati rice(pre-soaked for at least half an hour),
• 200 g - clarified butter or cooking oil
• 200 g - plain yogurt,
• 2 - medium thinly sliced onions,
• 2 - cinnamon sticks(dal cheeni),
• 5 - cardamom pods(choti ilaichi),
• 6 - cloves(lavang),
• 1 tbsp - garlic paste,
• 1 tbsp - ginger paste,
• 1/2 tbsp - turmeric powder,
• 1 tbsp - red chilli powder,
• 3 tbsp - coriander powder,
• 1 tbsp - cumin powder,
• 1/2 tbsp - cumin seeds,
• few saffron strands soaked in five tbsp of water
• ready fried onions for garnishing
• chopped fresh coriander leaves

How to Make Hyderabadi Biriyani

• Marinate the chicken pieces with the plain yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and cumin powder. Add the sliced onion and salt and mint to the marinated chicken. In boiling water add clarified butter or oil, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds and boil the rice until it is half cooked.
• Add the rice to the chicken.
• Pour a little clarified butter or oil and saffron water on rice, cooking the rice on dum for about 30-45 minutes or until done.