Ingredients

• 1 kg - chicken, cut into medium size pieces
• 1/2 kg - basmati rice
• 1.5 glasses of water
• 1 tsp - ginger paste
• 1 tsp - garlic paste
• 3 - large onions, finely sliced
• 3 - green chillies, chopped
• 1 cup - chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup - chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 10 strands of saffron
• 1/2 cup - milk
• 2 cups - yoghurt
• 2-3 tbsp - lemon juice
• 7 - cloves
• 2 - bay leaves
• 5 - green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece cinnamon
• 2 tbsp - ghee
• 3 /4 cup - oil
• Salt to taste
• Grind to a paste:
• 7 - cloves
• 4 - cardamoms
• 1/2 inch piece - cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp - whole pepper

How to Make Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

• Soak saffron in milk. Keep aside. Heat oil.
• Fry the onions till golden brown in colour. Set aside to cool.
• When cool, grind coarsely and set aside.
• Rub ginger and garlic paste all over the chicken.
• Add red chilli powder, salt, half of the mint and coriander, lemon juice, green chillies, the ground spices, crushed onions, yoghurt and the oil in which the onions were fried.
• Marinate for 2 hours.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, put the chicken along with the marinade and cook on medium heat until the chicken is tender and the liquid is not fully dried.
• Boil 1.5 glasses of water.
• Add the whole cloves, bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon to the water.
• Add salt to taste and the rice.
• Parboil the rice.
• Drain out the water and spread the rice on a plate.
• In a separate heavy-bottomed pan, apply ghee on the bottom.
• Place half the rice in a layer. Cover the layer with the cooked chicken.
• Cover the chicken with the rest of the rice.
• Sprinkle the saffron milk and balance mint and coriander over the rice.
• Pour the ghee all over the rice.
• Seal the pan tightly and cook over slow fire till the rice is fully cooked. Do not overcook the rice.
• Carefully remove the rice to a serving dish without mixing the chicken and the rice. Serve hot.