Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken
4 cups basmati rice
2 big onions, chopped
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
8 green chillies
1 1/2 cup yoghurt
3 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamoms
4 cinnamon
4 cloves
4 star anise
3 bay leaves
6-8 tsp ghee
1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp saffron/ turmeric/ yellow food colour
1 lemon
1 cup of oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large thick bottomed pan, add 1 cup of oil and fry the onions till golden and keep it aside.
2. In the same pan with remaining onion cooked oil ( minimum 1/2 cup of oil is required, if oil is less add some more oil) add some of the fried onions, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, yoghurt and salt and mix well.
3. Add cleaned chicken pieces and marinate it for half an hour.
4. In the mean time, half cook the rice with cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, bay leaves and salt adding enough water. Drain the excess water and allow to cool.
5. Then layer half of the cooked rice on top of the marinated chicken and then sprinkle some fried onion, garam masala, cumin seeds, green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, ghee and lemon juice.
6. Again layer the rice and do the same and sprinkle lemon juice. On top of that add the saffron / turmeric/ yellow food colour dissolved milk in a circular motion.
7. Cover this with an aluminium foil/ dough and close with a tight lid. Keep some weight on top of that and allow to cook for 35-40 minutes in low flame on stove top or inside the oven.
8. Remove from the flame and serve with raita and boiled egg….