Ingredients

• Basmati Rice1 – 1 kg
• Chicken Thigh2 – 1 kg
• Onion – 500 gm
• Tomato – 250 gm
• Ginger – 3 inch root
• Garlic – 2 bulbs
• Ghee (Clarified Butter) – 10 tsp
• Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
• Mint leaves – 1/4 bunch
• Green Chilli – 5 nos (adjust to sensitivity)
• Lime Juice of 2 Lemons
• Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
• Cardamom – 5 nos
• Cloves – 5 nos
• Cashew nuts – 25 nos
• Raisins – 25 nos
• Salt – to taste
• Rose water – 3 tsp
• Saffron – few strands
• Water – 1700 ml
• Garam Masala for Chicken:
• Cinnamon – 2 inch piece
• Cardamom – 5 nos
• Cloves – 5 nos
• Nutmeg – 1/4 piece
• Mace – 1 whole
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Black Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Garnish:
• Eggs – 2 nos
• Coriander Leaves – few strands

How to Make Kozhikode Koyi Biriyani

• Clean and cut chicken into bite size pieces.
• Finely slice the onions.
• Chop tomatoes.
• Chop and crush green chillies.
• Wash and chop the coriander and mint leaves; store separately.
• Make a very fine paste of garlic and ginger.
• Dry roast for 4 mins and grind to a fine paste the garam masala.
• Soak saffron strands in 2 tbsp milk.
• Hard boil eggs
• Heat 5 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan. Fry onions till they are golden and crispy.
• Strain and remove the crispy onions from the hot ghee.
• Layer on a tissue paper to absorb the excess ghee. These crispy onions are known as Bista in Kozhikode (Calicut).
• Heat a non-stick pan and add tomatoes. Sauté for about 5 mins.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, crushed green chillies, and sauté for 3 mins till the raw taste disappears.
• Add chicken, calt and 200ml water, cover and bring to boil. Lower the flame and allow to cook on low flame for 20 mins. Stir occasionally.
• Now add ¾ of the Bista, garam masala, lemon juice and ½ of the chopped coriander and mint leaves, cover and leave for 2 mins.
• Heat the left-over ghee, fry the rice for about 3 mins.
• Boil 1500 ml water in a large deep bottomed pan.
• Add salt, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and rose water to the boiling water, stir in well, add the rice and cook till the entire water is absorbed in the rice.
• In about ½ tsp ghee fry Cashew-nuts and raisins for about 2 mins.
• In a large deep-bottomed, non-stick pan, spread ½ of the chicken, topped by rice, spread evenly ½ of the fried onion, mint and coriander leaves, raisins, cashew-nuts and a few drops of saffron milk.
• Repeat the above step.
• Cover. Seal with flour dough all-around to make it an air-tight container.
• On very low flame cook for about 5 mins on fire.
• Garnish with Coriander leaves and quartered boiled eggs.
• Serve hot with Dates Chutney and roasted Pappad (Poppadom)