Ingredients

• 1 kg - broiler chicken, cut into medium-sized pieces
• 500 g - basmati rice, washed and soaked for about 30 minutes
• 400 g - thick curd, beaten
• 8-10 - green chillies
• 1/4 cup - oil
• 15 cloves - garlic
• 8 - green cardamoms
• 6 - onions
• 6 - cloves
• 2" piece - ginger
• 1 tsp - cumin seeds
• 2 - cinnamon sticks
• 2 - black cardamoms
• 2-3 - bay leaves
• 2-3 drops - yellow colour
• 2-3 drops - orange colour
• 2 tsp - ghee
• salt to taste
• For garnishing: 2 - onions, finely sliced and deep fried
• 100 g - cashewnuts, sliced and lightly deep fried

How to Make Spicy Chicken Biryani

• Grind the onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies and cumin seeds to a paste.
• Clean and wash the chicken pieces.
• Marinate the chicken in the beaten curd with salt. Keep aside for at least two hours.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadhai. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaves.
• Fry for a few seconds and add the ground paste.
• Saute on low flame until the paste is well cooked and the oil separates.
• Add the marinated chicken. Cover and cook with some water on low flame.
• Gently mix at regular intervals. Cook until the chicken is tender.
• In the meantime, par boil the rice with salt. Drain out the water completely.
• Spread out the rice on a big plate and cool completely.
• Divide the rice into three equal portions. Add yellow colour to one portion, orange to another and let the third be as it is.
• Keep the orange and yellow portions of rice separate.
• Arranging the biryani: Lightly heat ghee in a heavy bottomed degchi. Then proceed as follows.
• First layer: Spread out some gravy of the chicken.
• Second layer: Spread out half of the orange rice.
• Third layer: Place half of the chicken with some gravy.
• Fourth layer: Spread out a layer of yellow rice.
• Fifth layer: Place the remaining chicken.
• Sixth layer: Top it with the remaining orange rice and plain rice.
• Garnish with fried onions and fried cashewnuts.
• Place the degchi on a pre-heated tawa.
• Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Serve hot with sliced onions, lemon wedges, mint chutney, pappads and pickles.