Chicken Biriyani Recipe / Simple & Healthy

After promising to post the Biriyani Recipe in my last post here it is FINALLY.   

Though we make Biriyani more often, I had missed taking proper pictures every time.  The main reason for not taking any pictures most of the time is I make it for dinner and I hate to take pictures in the night without proper lighting. I have learnt by trial and error that natural lighting makes a huge difference in taking good pictures! One fine Saturday afternoon the Biriyani happened unexpectedly and I did not want to lose a chance since there was plenty of sunlight to click pictures.

Though there are many types of delicious Biriyani being cooked in our blessed land India, I have not followed any of those recipes but have used my Mom’s recipe.  Not exactly her recipe here but modified version of it. She uses correct proportion of ingredients to make perfect and delicious Biriyani, whereas I cut down on most of the things like oil and spices in order to make it healthy and easy for my family to enjoy.  I have been doing this for almost every dish since I have a toddler at home!!

Here I have given the ingredients for approximately one kg of rice and one kg of chicken each because I have not cooked a Biriyani in small proportion anytime!! I usually make it in huge batches so that it will last at least for two to three days since hubby dear does not eat anything else if Biriyani is made at home. He will eat Biriyani for breakfast, lunch and dinner and as many days it is available. Am afraid the Junior is also following suit in his father’s footsteps. J Now off we go to the recipe Chicken Biriyani !  Yes, it is quick to make, delicious and healthy too =)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice/Any good quality Rice 1 kg

Chicken – 1 kg

½ bunch of Methi leaves chopped

½ bunch of pudina/mint leaves chopped

½ bunch of coriander leaves chopped

3 big Onions - chopped

8-10 Green chilies- sliced (reduce/increase according to your tolerance level)

5-6 big tomatoes - chopped

5 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

3 tsp Red chilli powder

2 tablespoon Coriander powder

100 ml cooking oil (you may think its too much but remember it’s for 1kg rice)

1 big lemon

To Marinate: (I usually skip this step if I am pressed for time)

Chicken pieces

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. red chilli powder

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp curd

To temper:

5-6 cloves

2 sticks cinnamon

5-6 green cardamom

3-4 Aniseed/Marata moggu/star shaped spice

2-3 bay leaves

Method:

• Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly with turmeric and drain. Take all the ingredients listed under To Marinate and mix with chicken and keep aside for 30 minutes or till required.
• Wash and soak rice till required.
• Take a big wide mouthed vessel (it should fit 2 kg of rice and chicken in total) and heat oil. Add the ingredients given under To Temper one by one and let it tempter for a minute.
• Then add green chilies and chopped onions and sauté till it turns into light brown color.
• Add methi leaves and fry till it shrinks in size. Then add Mint leaves and Coriander leaves / Cilantro  and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add Ginger garlic paste and keep sautéing till the raw smell goes.
• Then add the marinated chicken pieces, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, salt to taste, mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes stirring in between to make sure the bottom does not get burnt. (ginger-garlic paste makes the bottom burn very quickly)
• Once you put the chicken to cook, measure the water that is required to cook rice and keep it for boiling. I use 1:2 rice and water ratio, may be a glass extra for emergencies. But Basmati Rice takes much less water. So 1:1.5 ratio will do if you are using basmati rice.
• Check if the chicken is half cooked and then add tomato and little more salt and cook covered for another 10 minutes. (Some people add curd at this step but I don’t add curd since it tends to spoil the biriyani very fast.)
• Once the chicken is almost cooked/tender add the soaked rice and the boiling water and stir.
• Check salt and squeeze in the lemon and cook covered on medium heat till water reduces to ¾.
• Simmer the stove and stir once to make sure all the masala is distributed everywhere.  Cover the edges of the lid tightly with a thick wet cloth or keep a heavy stone/pounder on the lid and cook in simmer / very low heat for 8-10 minutes.
• Check if the rice is cooked properly after 8-10 minutes and turn off the stove. Leave it untouched for at least 10 more minutes to enhance the flavor before serving.

Raita Ingredients:

1 cup curd

2 onions chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

2 green chillies chopped

A handful of Cilantro/Coriander

2-3 table spoon ground fried gram powder

Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and serve with hot Biriyani.  Friedgram powder that is mentioned in Raita is a specialty in North Karnataka region which tastes really good when added to raita. This is the basic Biriyani method that I follow for Mutton Biriyani as well. But mutton requires pressure cooking since it takes much longer to cook on stove top. Somehow I like this method rather than the Dum Biriyani method where rice is cooked separately and later mixed together with meat gravy. I feel that when rice is cooked along with meat gravy is more flavorful and tasty!!

Points to Ponder:

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9 (NIV Bible)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevail.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV Bible)

As human beings, we have a built in quality to grow physically, mentally and emotionally and not to forget materially.  We have a strong urge to pursue the desires of our heart and are willing to do anything to get what we want. In all this pursuit of desires, often we come across many disappointments, hardships and get upset and depressed if we don’t achieve the things that we desired!!  We forget or are oblivious to the fact that God has a different plan and purpose for our lives and our life is directed and guided by Him alone.  As the verses described above, we may have many plans in our hearts to achieve greater things in life but without God’s hand and his guidance we can’t do it. He will establish our steps in pursuing our desires only when it meets His purposes!!

And my husband is the living example to testify the above.  He wanted to be a Businessman first, earn enough and then serve HIM without depending on anyone! But God wants us to put HIM FIRST and depend only on Him to meet all the other needs!!!  And I am glad the realization came sooner than later =)

Till next time ….take care enjoy some home made Biriyani!!!