Kerala Chicken Biriyani

Recipe for Kerala style chicken biriyani.

Serves ~ 5 to 6 adults.

Ingredients for preparing chicken

Medium sized chicken pieces with bones ~ 2 kgs

Lemon juice ~ 2 tablespoon
Thick curd ~ 1/2 cup
Curry leaves ~ 4-5 stems
Finely chopped coriander leaves / malli ela ~ around 1 cup
Finely chopped mint leaves / Pudina ela ~ 1 cup
Green chillies ~ 15 to 20 nos ( Add according to your spice preference )
Ginger pieces ~ 2 tbsp
Garlic ~ 1 garlic pod. 
Tomato ~ 3 nos
Turmeric powder ~ 3/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder ~ 1 tsp + 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder ~ 2.5 tbsp
Fennel powder / Perinjeerakam podi ~ 1 tsp
Home made garam masala ~ 2 tsp
Black pepper powder / Kurumulaku podi ~ 1.5 tsp
Onions ~ 3 nos  (Finely sliced)
Shallots / Kochu ulli ~ around 1 cup ( sliced )
Cashew nuts ~ 1/4 cup
Poppy seeds / Kasha kasha ~ 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil ~ approximately 1/2 cup

For grinding

Green chilly paste :- Grind green chillies, ginger and garlic to a course paste.

Cashew paste :-  Soak cashew nuts in warm water for about 15 minutes and then grind cashew nuts and poppy seeds to a fine paste by adding little water.

To prepare chicken:

• First clean the chicken pieces, allow it to drain using a colander and then pat it dry using a paper towel. 

• Marinate the chicken pieces with 1/4 cup thick curd, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilly powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, curry leaves and about 1 tsp salt. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for at least 2 hours.

• Heat oil in a pan and add finely sliced onions and shallots. Saute the onions till it becomes soft and then add green chilly paste and continue sauteing till onions become translucent. Reduce the flame and add 2.5 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp fennel powder and 1/2 tbsp red chilly powder, keep on stirring it for about 1 to 2 minutes. 

• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook it for about 2-3 minutes. Next add the marinated chicken pieces along with 2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder and enough salt. Mix it nicely and cook covered in a medium low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then add finely chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves along with 1/4 cup of curd and let it cook uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes or till the gravy thickens. Finally add the cashew paste and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the flame. 

Ingredients for preparing biryani rice and for layering.

Basmati Rice / Biriyani ari ~ 5 cups
Water ~ 8 plus 3/4 cup
Salt to taste
Ghee ~ 4 to 5 tbsps
Cashew nuts ~ 1/2 cup ( more or less depending upon your preference)
Raisins ~ 1/3 cups ( more or less depending upon your preference )
Whole garam masala ~ 8 to 10 small pieces of cinnamon sticks , 6 to 8 crushed green cardamom, 10 to 15 cloves , 3 star anise , 3 to 4 dried bay leaves
Saffron ~ 2 pinch ( Soak the saffron in 2 tbsps of warm milk for about 10 -15 minutes or till the milk turns yellow in color )
Chopped Coriander leaves
Chopped mint leaves
Home made garam masala
Fried Onions ( Ready made fried onions are available in grocery store or you can prepare it by frying finely sliced onions in ghee/oil till they become crispy and light brown in color.)

To prepare rice:

• First wash the rice nicely by changing water 3 to 4 times and then allow it to drain. 
• Next heat ghee in a big thick bottom pan and fry cashew nuts and raisins and then transfer it to a paper towel. Next in a low flame fry the whole garam masala in the remaining ghee for 2-3 minutes. Then add drained rice and fry the rice slowly in a low flame for about 5 minutes. 
• Next add 8 cups plus 3/4 cup of hot water along with enough salt and let  it cook covered in a medium-low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes, then switch off the flame and keep it covered in the stove itself for about 10-15 minutes or till the water is fully absorbed by the rice. Then transfer the rice to a flat vessel and fluff it using a fork. 

Layering process

• First preheat the oven at 275 F and then grease a big oven safe vessel and then transfer half of the rice to the vessel and then sprinkle half of the saffron milk, fried onions, fried cashew nuts, fried raisins, a pinch of garam masala and chopped coriander & mint leaves on the top of the rice. 

• Next slowly spread the chicken masala evenly over the rice. Then again layer the rest of the rice over the chicken and finally garnish the rice with the remaining  fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins , coriander leaves, mint leaves, saffron milk and a pinch a garam masala.
• Then cover the vessel tightly using an aluminum foil and keep it in the oven for about 30 minutes and finally switch off the oven and let the biriyani sit there covered for another 30 to 45 minutes. 

Notes : 

• If you don't have oven then you can do the layering process in a big aluminum vessel and then keep it covered on a stove top in a very low flame  for about 15 minutes.

• Mostly basmati rice is cooked by adding water double the amount of rice. Whenever I prepare biriyani , I add a little less water for cooking rice and here I took 1 cup plus 3/4 cup of water for cooking 1 cup of rice. Doing so will avoid the over cooking of rice.

Enjoy the biriyani with cucumber raita and a boiled egg.

 

Cheers!!

Jisha