#Chicken Briyani ( Rice cooked with Chicken and spices )

This is one of my most favourite food. Briyani is a rice variety cooked with meat and spices which blends together and gives wonderful flavour and taste. I do not say it is originated in India but it is one of the must try menu in the list. This one dish is cooked in many different ways in different regions of India. Here I show you my own way which I cook all the time and it never failed me. I do this recipe without spicy because my family do not prefer it. Hope it will be helpful for you. Lets go.......😊😊

Serves :- 2-3 people

Preparation time :- 20 mins
Cooking time :- 40 mins
Measurements :- in grams and in spoons

*tbsp - Tablespoon
*tsp   - Teaspoon

Ingredients

1. Chicken  - 250 to 300 grams ( any part of chicken) 
2. Basmati rice  - 200 grams
3. Onion   - 3 medium sized
4. Tomato  - 1 medium sized
5. Mint leaves   - 1 cup
6. Ginger paste   - ¾   tbsp
7. Garlic paste    - ¾   tbsp
8. Coriander powder   - ½ tbsp
9. Yogurt(3.5% fat)   - 1 and ½ tbsp
10. Oil  - 1 tbsp
11. Ghee - 1 tbsp
12. Cardamom  - 3 pieces
13. Cloves - 4 pieces
14. Bay leaves  -  2 pieces
15. Cinnamon sticks  -  1 inch piece
16. Fennel seeds  - 1 tsp
17. Cumin seeds  - ½ tsp
18. Salt  -  according to your taste.
19. Water  - 350 ml / 1 and ½ cup 

Important Note

1. Marinating meat is very important for tenderising the meat, which helps to cook faster and get the better taste. 
2. Please do not reduce the measurement or the items which I specified above to get the exact taste of it. 
3. If you like to add spicy to the dish you can add green chillies only. Not any other masala powders. 
4. Do wash the rice three times before soaking in order to avoid the stickiness and to avoid becoming mushy.
5. To make ginger and garlic paste you can use mortar- pestle.

Method

1. In a bowl add the chicken, yogurt, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, cinnamon, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp ginger paste, 1/2 tbsp garlic paste, 2-3 mint leaves chopped, coriander powder and oil.
2. Mix everything very well and allow it to marinate at least for 2 hours. If you want, you can do this marination previous day night and put it in refrigerator. Overnight marination is much more better. 
3. In a pressure cooker add this marinated meat with 1/2 cup of water. Cook it in medium to high heat for 4-5 whistles or until the meat is cooked. (If you do not have a pressure cooked, then add the marinated meat in a pot, add 2 cups of water, close it tight and cook it in medium flame for about 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Mix it in between to avoid burning at the bottom. The water will be reduced almost to 1/2 cup quantity during cooking).
4. First thing wash the rice 3 times and soak it in water with measurement specified above. Soak it for 20 minutes.
5. Slice the Onion. Finely chop the tomato and mint leaves. Keep the 1 tbsp of ginger and 1 tbsp of garlic paste ready. 
6. Take another cooking pot on the stove and keep the heat in medium. Add ghee and allow it to heat up. It takes 1 minute. Then add 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 2 bay leaves. 
7. Then add the onions. Saute well until they turn dark golden brown colour. Please be patient until you get this colour because this is the very important step in making Briyani. Check the colour in the picture below.
   
8. Then add the ginger and garlic paste. Saute it for exactly 1 minute. Then add the tomato and mint leaves. Saute them well until everything cooked and combined. (If you want to add green chillies add in this stage).
9. Next add the cooked meat mixture into this pot and the soaked rice into this pot.(Remember that your cooked meat mixture should not contain more water. It should be dried out almost to 1/2 cup or less than that). Add salt at this stage and check the taste. If you want you can adjust by adding more.
10. Once the water starts boiling bring the heat to completely low level. Cover the pot first with aluminium foil as shown in the picture and the close the lid on top of it. This method helps to prevent the flavours inside the pot itself. Now cook it in very low flame for 10 minutes. 
    
11. After 10 minutes open the lid carefully, very slowly and gently mix the rice, because it will break and become sticky when you do it hard. That is it, Briyani is done....Serve it with Raita or boiled egg.
    
    

Fried Egg 

• Boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Peel the shell and cut it into half.
• In a pan add 1 tbsp oil and heat it in low heat for 1 minute. Then add ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp Cumin powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp paprika powder (if you like). Give a good mix.
• Then place the egg one by one into it. Cook one side for 1 minute, then flip it to the other side and cook it for a minute. 

Simple Raita

• In a bowl add 1 cup yogurt(3.5% fat), 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt.
• Then add finely chopped 1 onion, 1 cucumber and few coriander leaves.
• Mix well and serve it. 

Tips

1. You can cook the recipe with beef or mushrooms or mixed vegetables. The measurements are same. 
2. Salt and spicy can be adjusted according to your taste. 


Your Meal is ready to serve.......You made it...........👐👐


For any doubts and questions post it in the comment section below.