This dish is no doubt one of the most favorite among people of the subcontinent. Its heartiness, aroma and the tantalizing amalgam of flavors often remind many of their most cherished childhood food memories. Following is my step-by-step take on this all-time favorite delicacy. To reduce the complexity of this already-arcane recipe, I like to use a ready-made Biryani masala. As you read ahead, just remember not to be overwhelmed by the steps involved. Keep a cool head while reading (and making) this recipe and you shall be awarded immensely!
Ingredients (Serves 5 to 6):
Chicken - 1.5 kilos
Basmati Rice - 1 kilo (4 Cups)
Onions - 6 medium
Oil - 6 to 7 tablespoons
Tomatoes - 5 medium
Yogurt - 250 to 300 gm
Green Chillies - 3 to 4 (or according to taste)
Ginger/Garlic Paste - 3 Tablespoons
Any Biryani Masala - 1 Packet
Potatoes - 3 Medium
Lemon Juice - 7 to 8 tablespoons
Mint + Coriander/Cilantro - Half a bunch each
Method:
0. Read the whole recipe before starting to cook. There is a lot of multitasking involved in order to save time.
1. Start by rinsing the Rice with water repeatedly till the water runs clear. Be gentle so as not to break the Rice. Soak the rice in water just enough to cover it.
2. Slice the onions in half-moons. Heat the oil in a pan/karahi/handi/wok till hot. Put in the sliced onions and fry on high heat till they become translucent and lose most of their water. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent burning (or use a non-stick pan). Once translucent, turn flame to low and let the onions color to reddish-brown.
3. Once this color is achieved, Remove the onions with a slotted spoon. Reserve almost 1/4th of the fried onions in a plate with kitchen towel/tissue paper. Transfer the rest to a blender in a which you have already put in the yogurt, tomatoes, ginger/garlic paste (if paste not available then use around 5 large cloves of garlic and a square inch piece of ginger) and green Chillies. Blitz till a near-smooth paste is formed.
4. Now in the same pan/wok/handi as you fried the onions in, add a little more oil (if needed) to fry the chicken. Once hot enough, gently put in the chicken and fry till the chicken loses its water and color, and is slightly browned. Keep flame controlled so as not to burn the pan and stir occasionally.
5. Add in the blended paste, put a cup and half (400 ml almost) of water in the blender, rinse and then put this paste-water in the pan as well. Give a stir. Turn heat to a medium.
6. Put in the Biryani masala. Stir once more. Taste to see if you'd like more salt (generally it's just right). Cut the potatoes in quarters if small or medium-sized chunks if the potatotes are medium to large. Put the potatoes into your curry or quorma. Bring to a boil and then cover while turning the heat to medium-low.
7. On a separate stove, put a large pot with water on heat. Cover with a lid to accelerate the boiling process. (In the meanwhile, your quorma will be cooking - stir it occasionally). Once the water is boiling, add in a tablespoon heaped of salt. Drain the soaked rice and add it in the boiling water. Keep the flame medium-high.
8. Meanwhile prepare the lemon juice. And remove the mint and Coriander leaves from the stalks.
9. Boiling the Rice right is crucial to an excellent Biryani so pay close attention to the rice. In 5 to 8 minutes, the Rice will be boiling such that they will rise to the surface of the pot. Take out a grain of rice with a spoon and rub it between two fingers. If it is just about right, you will need to apply a little bit of pressure to break the Rice. You do NOT want over-cooked or under-cooked rice. Overcooked will make your Biryani mushy while undercooked is obviously a no-no. As soon as the Rice reaches the above-described stage (called aik-kanni in urdu), strain out the Rice completely from the pot in a colander. Shake to remove excess water.
10. By this time (around 15-20 minutes), your quorma should be almost done. The oil will start separating and will come to the top. Test if the potatoes are tender by using a knife or fork. Do a final taste check if needed.
11. Now it's time to layer! Work fast to avoid the Rice sticking together. In the pan that you boiled the Rice in, put in a small knob of butter or a tablespoon of oil. Flame should be very very low. Put in half of the boiled Rice. Put half of the quorma in (meat+potatoes+gravy). Evenly distribute half of the mint, Coriander/cilantro, fried onions and lemon juice. Now put in rest of the boiled rice, the quorma and the rest of the layering materials.
12. Tightly cover the pot with a lid. If an oven is available and the pot can fit into it, put the pot in the oven-preheated at 180 C for 15 minutes. Otherwise just keep the pot on a very very low flame for 15 minutes undisturbed.
13. After the 'dumm' period, remove the lid and very carefully mix the whole Biryani together with a slotted spoon to evenly distribute the masala. Try your best to reduce patches of white rice.
14. Serve the Biryani in a dish along with some Kachoomar Salad (cucumber+tomoatoes+bell pepper+cabbage+onions diced into small cubes with lemon juice and salt pepper) as well as some Ratta (whisked yogurt with a little bit of cumin powder+Coriander powder+salt pepper) or green chutney (half bunch mint leaves+half bunch Coriander leaves+2 cloves of garlic+5 tablespoons yogurt+1 tsp cumin powder+salt).
Notes: You can also add in roasted cashew nuts, raisins or almonds while layering. If you'd like, use orange food coloring during layering as well to add a more vibrant color to the dish.This dish is all about time management and multi-tasking; don't panic and keep hydrated during the cooking process.
Good luck and Enjoy!
