Hyderabadi Chicken 65 Biriyani

Chicken 65 Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients  (Serves 5 – 6)

1. Boneless chicken (thighs preferred) – 500 gm, cut into medium pieces

Ginger-garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder – 1.5 tbsp

Cumin powder – 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Salt – To taste

2. Egg – 1/2 of 1 large, beaten

Corn starch – 2.5 tbsp

Rice flour – 2 tsp

3. Oil –  For shallow-frying or deep frying

4. Onion – 3 cups, thinly sliced

For gravy

4. Oil (leftover from frying chicken and onion) – 2 tbsp

Ginger – garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp

Green chilies –  3 – 4, slit

5. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1.5 – 2 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

6. Yoghurt – 1/2 cup, beaten well

7. Hot water / chicken stock – 1 –  2 tbsp (optional, add if gravy is dry)

Mint leaves and cilantro, chopped – 3 – 4 tbsp each

8. Salt – 1 – 2 pinches

For the rice

9. Basmati rice – 2 cups, soaked in enough water for at least 30 minutes and then drained

Whole spices – bay leaf – 2, cloves – 6, green cardamom – 3, cloves – 6, cinnamon stick – 1 inch broken, kala jeera – 1/2 tsp

Ghee – 1 tsp

Chicken stock – As required (I used 2 maggi chicken stock cubes. Got this tip from Vah Chef)

Salt – Add only if required

To layer

10. Fried onion – 1/3 cup

Garam masala powder – 1 – 2 pinches

Chopped mint and cilantro – 3 tbsp each

Saffron – 1 pinch soaked in 2 tbsp hot water to which 1 tsp kewra water is also added

Ghee – 1 – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Marinate chicken pieces with all the ingredients numbered 1. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Take it out of the refrigerator half hour before frying.

2. Add half of a beaten egg, corn starch, rice flour and a pinch of salt to the marinated chicken. Mix well.

3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry sliced onion till golden brown and crisp. It will take about 20 minutes or so. Drain on a paper towel. Add the chicken pieces in 2 – 3 batches and fry for about 5 – 8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel.

4.   Heat 2 tbsp (leftover from frying chicken) in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes until its raw smell completely disappears. Bring down the heat to low. Add spice powders numbered 5.  Mix well. Add 1/2 cup yoghurt and mix well.  Cook for a few minutes until oil separates. Taste-check for salt. Cook for a minute or two and add the fried chicken pieces and 3/4 th of the fried onion. Mix well. Add 1 – 2 tbsp chicken stock or water, if it looks dry and mix well. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, mint leaves, 4 – 5 slit green chilies and mix well. Switch off.

5. To cook rice – Boil water in a large vessel adding the remaining ingredients numbered 9. Taste-check for salt and add, if required. The water should be slightly salty. Add drained rice and cook until the rice is  85 – 90 % cooked. Drain well.

6. In a heavy-bottomed vessel or oven-proof vessel (you can use the one in which you cooked chicken, if it is oven-proof), smear 2 tsp ghee and spread half of the chicken masala at the bottom. Top it with half of the hot cooked rice. Sprinkle fried onion, saffron water, chopped mint and cilantro and little ghee. Spread the remaining chicken on top followed by the remaining rice. Top with fried onion, chopped mint and cilantro, saffron water, ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder. Cover tightly with an aluminium foil. Heat a wide tawa over high heat for a few minutes. Once hot, bring down the heat to low. Place the biriyani pot and cook for 4 – 5  minutes on the lowest heat. Switch off. Let it rest unopened for another 10 – 15 minutes in the biriyani pot. Yummy chicken 65 biriyani is ready to enjoy! Serve hot with green chutney / kachumber salad/  pickle etc.