Spicy Chicken Bombay Biryani - Nothing less than A Royal Treat

BIRYANI - just the word makes me drool. This dish is a royal culinary treat for the taste buds and all your senses. The aroma of basmati rice, spices and meat cooking together in a richly flavored gravy conjures up an appetite unlike anything else. Wake me up in the middle of the night and trust me I'd get up to eat this. My husband "G", a wonderful cook is to thank for this mouth watering recipe. A warning however, this delicacy is a spicy treat as the spice level on a range of 0-5 is 4.

It's one of those recipes where you don't have to open your masala dibba (spice box) making it easy on yourself but not compromising on the taste. "G" came up with this when we had made an unplanned invitation to one of our friends and had to come up with something quick and delicious. Since then it's what we treat ourselves to on Sunday afternoon lunches and is also one of the most requested items on the menu when friends come over.

Spicy Chicken Bombay Biryani

Serves : 5

Time: an hour excluding marination time

Spice level: 4/5

Ingredients:

To marinate:

1 whole chicken (Preferable with the bones as the goodness is inside the bones and adds a lot of flavor to the biryani) / 3 pounds cut and cleaned

1- 60g  ready made Shan Spice Mix for  Bombay Sindhi Biryani

1 Tbsp ready made Laziza Zafrani Bombay Biryani Spice Mix

3 Tbsp Maggie coconut milk powder mix

1/2 tsp yogurt

1Tbsp ginger-garlic paste

For the Chicken Gravy:

2 large onions sliced 

1 small tomato chopped

1/2 cup mint leaves packed

2 green chilies slit ( avoid if you want to reduce the spice)

2 Tbsp coriander leaves chopped 

1 small potato cut into 1" cubes

3 Tbsp oil

11/2 tsp ghee

2 whole green cardamom

For the rice:

2 1/2 cups basmati rice ( I prefer to use Royal)

salt to taste (this is only for the rice - DO NOT add for the gravy as  the spice mix contains salt)

a pinch of yellow color (as per preference) 

a very small pinch of EDIBLE camphor (adds a wonderful flavor and aroma)

Directions:

For the marination:

For best tasting results combine all the ingredients listed under "to marinate" and refrigerate overnight. If your short on time, marinate the chicken for atleast 1 hour.

For the Rice:
Wash and Pre-soak the rice for 1/2 hr at least before cooking. Heat sufficient water in a pot with salt, a pinch of yellow color and a very small pinch of edible camphor. When the water starts to boil, add rice cover and cook. Stir occasionally and cook until 80% done. Drain rice and wash under cold water. Let drain completely. The texture of rice should be a little chewy but not soft (refer to picture below). Let the rice cool completely.  

For the Chicken Gravy:

As the rice is cooking, heat oil and ghee together in a pan. Add cardamom, sliced onions and fry till they turn translucent and a light golden brown. Next add slit green chilies and mint and fry for a minute. Tomatoes go in next and fry till they turn soft and mushy. Add the marinated chicken once it comes to room temperature and cover and cook until almost done.(Do not add water as the meat releases its juices.)

(If you want it to be quicker, the same process for the gravy could be done in the cooker and chicken cooked for 1 whistle. Again do not add water.)

Once done, reserve 1/2 cup gravy in a separate container and retain the remaining chicken and balance gravy in the same pan. Once the rice is done to 80% consistency, layer the rice on the chicken and top it with the reserved 1/2 cup gravy. It should look like the picture below. 

Cover and cook with a tight lid for 8-10 minutes on the simmer mode.  (This is the dum process where the rice and meat cook completely and the flavors are all come together beautifully.) The Le Creuset dish is ideal for this as the heavy lid seals in the heat and creates a perfect dum. 

Finally, fork the biryani lightly until the rice and chicken gravy are combined together. Serve with lemon wedges and raita of your choice.

Try it out and let me know, how you and your family enjoyed it. If you don't get asked for the recipe, I'd be surprised. Have a wonderful week!!!!!

 Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.