Zaiqa

Chicken marinating in a bowl

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1.4 kg, with bone, cut into medium size pieces
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Green chilli paste – 1 1/2 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tsp
Tomato – 2, medium sized, pureed (optional)
Ginger-Garlic/Adrak-Lahsun paste – 2 tbsp
Yogurt – 2/3 cup, lightly whipped
Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice – 1/2 cup
Garam masala – 2 tbsp
Green Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Dry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Fresh Cilantro and Mint – 2 tbsp, roughly chopped

Method:

In a large bowl marinate the chicken with all the ingredients. Make sure all the pieces of chicken are coated in the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Day 2.

1) Adding Fried onions to the marinated chicken:

Ingredients:

Canola Oil – 3/4 cup
Finely sliced Yellow Onions – 800 gms
Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Remove the marinating chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, pour oil into a large non-stick frying pan at medium high heat. As soon as it gets warm, throw in the sliced onions and add salt. Stir fry until they are evenly golden brown in color. Make sure they do not burn them. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil into a platter. Divide the fried onions into two equal parts and add one half of the fried onions to the marinating chicken and mix well. Spread the other half on a tissue lined platter to be used later for garnish, until cool. Once they are cool, they crisp up. Also divide the oil in which the onions were fried into two equal parts. Add one part of the oil into the marinating chicken and mix well. Reserve the other half to be added to the rice as the top layer along with garnish later on.

2) Give a smoked Flavor to the Marinating Chicken (optional step, but gives a really good flavor to the Biryani. I recommend you try this atleast once. Skip to the step 3 if you want to avoid)

Ingredients:

3 or 4 Burning Charcoal briquettes
Canola oil/Ghee – 1 tsp
Disposable aluminium foil tray/loaf pan

Method:

1. Make a well in the center of the marinating chicken in the bowl so that the mini aluminium loaf pans fits into it perfectly. My Ammi uses an onion skin for this purpose. With the help of tongs, carefully put the burning charcoal briquettes into the aluminium loaf pan.
2. Pour about a teaspoon of oil/ghee onto the charcoal. You will see that dense fumes start forming.
3. Immediately cover the bowl with a lid, so that the fumes do not escape. Keep it aside until you prepare the rice.

3) Preparing Basmati Rice/Adhaan:

Ingredients:

Long grained Basmati Rice (preferably ‘Lal Qilla’ Brand) – 4 cups, presoaked in water for 30 minutes
Salt – 3 tsp
Bay leaf/Tej Patta – 1
Cloves – 3
Green cardamom – 4
Cinnamon stick – 3/4 inch
Caraway seeds/Shah Zeera – 1 1/2 tsp
Water – 9 cups

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak it in surplus water for about 30 minutes.
2. In a large cooking pot pour in water along with cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway seeds and salt. Give it a stir, cover and let it come to a boil. (While the rice is boiling, follow the steps below under ‘Arranging layers and Garnish’ until step 4 and be ready)
3. Once boiling add the rice and mix gently, let the rice cook until it is half done, 2-3 minutes. Drain the rice and keep aside.

4) Arranging layers and Garnish: (Work fast while the rice is still hot! and try not to let the rice cool down)

Ingredients:

Marinating Chicken
Boiled, Quartered and shallow fried Potatoes – 2 cups (optional)
Mint leaves/Pudina – 1/2 cup, loosely packed, roughly chopped
Half cooked rice prepared earlier
Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 cup, loosely packed, roughly chopped
Ghee – 2 tsp (optional)
Reserved Fried Onions for garnish
1/4 Saffron strands, crushed and steeped in 1/4 cup warm milk
Rose water/Gulab Jal – 1 tsp (optional)
Green Cardamom seed powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Toasted Almonds and Cashewnuts – 1/2 cup total (optional)
Shelled Hard Boiled Eggs – 6-8 (optional)
Dough to seal the edges of the Casserole dish (optional)

(I use the ingredients stated as ‘optional’ only during parties when guests are invited)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 550°F (only if using an oven to prepare it on Dum, read below)
2. Carefully lift the loaf pan containing the charcoal briquettes from the marinating chicken, and discard it.
3. In a heavy bottomed casserole dish (which can be used in Oven-if using the Oven method (or) which can be used on stove-top-if using the Stovetop method – read below), arrange the marinating chicken along with all its juices in a single layer. Do not crowd it. (Use two casserole dishes if needed)
4. Spread the chopped mint leaves and the shallow fried potatoes (if using) over it.
5. Now add the drained warm half cooked rice prepared earlier and spread it nicely to cover the chicken all over. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups cooked rice for the top most layer.
6. Next, spread the chopped cilantro, toasted almonds and cashewnuts, hard boiled eggs (if using), reserved fried onions, cardamom seed powder and pour ghee (if using) and the saffron soaked in milk and rose water all over the rice. Add the 1 1/2 cup reserved rice and spread as the top most layer to cover evenly. Now pour the reserved oil in which the onions were fried evenly all over the rice.( I do not add fried onions over the top layer of rice to avoid getting the onions and herbs blackened or burned by steam).
7. Cover the dish with an aluminium foil or a tight lid (or) seal the edges with a dough and cover with the lid tightly, you can use some weight over the lid, so that no steam escapes.

Lid sealed with dough and being cooked on stovetop

If using an oven to cook:
Put the sealed casserole in the preheated oven at 550°F for 20 minutes. Later, lower the heat to 300°F and leave the casserole dish in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from dish from oven once done.

If you are cooking on stove top:
1. Take a flat Dosa Tawa or a griddle pan and put it on the stove at high heat. As it gets warm, put the casserole dish on the tawa and let it cook for about 5 minutes on high heat.
2. Later, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about another 15 minutes.
3. Now, reduce heat to very low and let cook for another 15-20 minutes and your Biryani will be done by now.

Once done, let the dish rest for 30 minutes. Later, open the lid and a heavenly aroma fills your house inviting all your house members. Carefully dig your spoon deep into the casserole dish until it touches the bottom, and gently mix the rice with the chicken until it is all completely mixed. Serve immediately.