Chicken Biriyani | Easy Chicken Biryani (with yoghurt) ~ Amma's Recipe

Chicken Biriyani is a family favorite and this is my sweet Amma's signature dish. Most Sunday Lunch menu's were blessed with Chicken Biriyani and this made us long for weekends. If you had followed me on facebook you would have found a status message about how we enjoyed our Chicken Biriyani over the long weekend. 

Although there are different versions to this ever famous dish, this is the one and only way that Amma prepares it. Its a simple one pot meal with rich flavors and marinates that make it super special. It is flavor packed and with hits of mint that make is aromatic and drool worthy. She often makes it in a pressure cooker and at times does the dum style too. But today I am sharing the pressure cooker version of the tasteful Chicken Biriyani

Serves ~ 4 

Cook & Prep time ~ 1.5 hrs

Recipe ~ Amma

Ingredients

For Marinade

Chicken - 1 kg with bones and skinless

Mint leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 heaped tsp

Corriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Gram masala - 1 generous pinch

Whole spices - Bay leaf, star anise, clove, cardamom, cinnamon stick- 1 each

For the Rice

Basmathi rice - 3 cups  (I use Tilda/ Kohinoor)

Mint leaves - 1/4 bunch

Whole jeera - 1/4 tsp

Onion - 2 large, thin slices

Tomato - 1 large, thin slices

Green chilli - 3 slit in the middle

Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Water to cook - 6 cups (2 cups for 1 cup rice)

Salt - to taste

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp

Corriander powder - 1  tsp

Gram masala - 1 generous pinch

Whole spices - Bay leaf, star anise, clove, cardamom, cinnamon stick- 1 each

Method

Marination:

Wash the chicken pieces in cold water couple of time until clean (you could also wash with salt & turmeric a pinch each), keep aside. In a bowl combine all the masalas and youghurt, mix well and add the chicken to this and coat it on all the pieces. Cover it with a lid/ cling film and refregerate for an hour.

Rice preperation:

After half hour of the chicken marination, wash the basmathi rice in cold running water for couple of minutes and then soak it in cold water just 20 mins before starting the cooking

• In a pressure cooker, add oil and ghee, once hot add 1/2 the onions and saute occationally until they turn fried and brown. Remove them from the vessel and keep it in a plate
• Using the same pot and the remaining oil, add the whole spices and wait until they puff up and start releasing aroma, to this add the whole Jeera and green chillis saute, now add the remaining onions and let them fry well. Once they change color and turn brown add the tomatoes and saute well. Let it cook until the tomatoes turn mushy, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute
• At this stage add some mint leaves and you will find the oil seperating and at this stage it can start to burn so keep the flame on medium. Add the remaining masala powders and the marinated chicken pieces. Give a good stir and once it starts to boil add the remaining water, let it turn to boiling point. 
• At this stage add the rice mix well and add the remaining mint leaves, taste the liquid in the pot and check for salt and spice. You can even add some ghee now. Once it starts to boil cover the lid
• Let it cook for 3-4 whistles in medium flame. Switch off the stove and let the pressure settle by itself and open the lid to check the rice. Sprikle some lime juice on top

Serve hot and top it with fried onions along with curd chutney.

Tips

- Make sure that you use a medium burner hob while making Biriyani, since its a one pot meal there is a tendency for it to burn at the bottom of the vessel

- Skinless chicken marinates well

- Make sure that you use good quality rice for a great tasting biriyani.

- You could add some nuts if you fancy them

- If you are not sure about the spice levels simply use store bought biriyani masala.

If you are not fond of chicken try my Fish Biriyani Here