Biryan1
(KEY RECIPE) for 6-8 persons
I chicken (1,1/2 kg) washed and disjointed
2 cups masoor (whole black lentils)
2 cups rice
2 pieces cinnamon sticks (tuj)
4 elachi (cardomom)
1 tsp jeero (cummin)
4 green chillies (slit)
1 cup yoghurt
2 tblsp fresh tomato (grated or pureed)
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 sprigs mint
1/4 tsp saffron
1/4 tsp turmeric (arad)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dhunia /jeero (coriander/cummin)
1,1/2 tsp red chillies
6 small potatoes
3 hard-boiled eggs
3/4 cup oil and 4 cup ghee
2 fair sized onions
1,1/2 tsp ginger/garlic
Allow saffron strands to become crisp over very low heat. Crush fine with the back of the Spoon, Steep in a Table Spoon
of hot water. Keep some saffron aside for tinting, 3 or 4 tablespoons of the cooked rice. This must be spread on top of other rice in streaks. Fry onions in oil to a pale golden colour. Drain and cool. leave aside
one tablespoon of fried onions and crush the rest
coarsely. Wash and drain disjointed Chicken. Place in larg bowl. Add saffron and smear ginger/garlic over meat pieces by tossing it around meat, With Spoon. Add yoghurt tomatoes, spices, fried onions, whole green chillies, sprigs of mint and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour meanwhile, boil masoor in salted water till done. Drain off in colander, Boil rice with 2 elachi and I piece tuj, the rest of elachi, etc., must be added to marinating meat.Rice must be drained when only half done. (Boil rice as for Pilau but leave slightly underdone). Fry potatoes to light yellow colour in oil used for frying onions. Remove from ghee and set aside.In large flat bottomed pot (2-3 litre size) put in oil that was used for frying, plus half of ghee. Sprinkle a handful of rice and masoor over the bottom. Now arrange the marinating chicken and masalas carefully over bottom of pot.NOW spread masoor over chicken, then the potatoes and then half of the rice. Place peeled hard boiled eggs Over rice. Now spread rest of rice over eggs. Many people prefer to tint a little of the white rice with a tinge of saffron.This looks very attractive and puts the finishing touch to the Biryani,Decorate with left-over fried onions, and sprinkle rest of ghee and half a cup of cold water over the top. Close and Seal lid of pot tightly. Place over high heat for 5 minuts.and as soon as it starts sizzling, lower heat and let simmer for 1 hour. By this time all moisture should have evaporated. Serve with fried rice papads, onion kachoomers and its essential accompaniment, spiced dahi.
