Ingredients

• 8 medium pieces of chicken
• 2 cups - basmati rice
• 6 cups - water
• 2-inch broken cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 tbsp - raw papaya peeled, chopped
• 4 green chillies, chopped
• 1 cup - mix of chopped coriander and mint leaves
• For the marinade:
• 2 tbsp - yoghurt
• 2 medium sized onions, chopped
• 8 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp - lime juice2 tbsp - mixed fried nuts and raisins
• 1 tsp - saffron soaked in a little milk
• 2 tbsp - clarified butter
• Salt to taste
• A sheet of aluminum foil for sealing

How to Make Kuchi biryani

• Grind the raw papaya peel, green chillies, ginger, mint and coriander leaves into a fine paste.
• Mix the paste with yoghurt and salt.
• Make cuts on the chicken pieces and rub the marinade into them.
• Marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
• In a large vessel, combine the rice, water, half the whole spices, salt and cook till the rice is half done.
• Drain the excess liquid and spread the rice on a plate to cool.
• Heat the clarified butter in a heavy bottomed pan until hot and fry the remaining whole spices for a few seconds.
• Add the chopped onions and fry on medium level till they are golden brown.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pan, add some hot melted clarified butter, a layer of chicken with the marinade, a layer of the rice topped with a portion of the nuts, lemon juice, curry leaves and saffron milk.
• In this way, arrange alternate layers of melted clarified butter, chicken, rice, nuts, lemon juice, curry leaves and saffron milk till they are all used up.
• Make sure the topmost layer is of rice topped with melted clarified butter, nuts, lemon juice, curry leaves and saffron milk.
• Spread the aluminum foil on the top of the pan and cover it with a tight fitting lid.
• Cook on high level for about 5 mins.
• Reduce the heat to low level and cook it for about 45 mins.