Malabar Chicken Biriyani

Malabar biriyani is probably the first thing which I started serving  my guests, it has taken atleast one round among most of my friends . In malabar there are different ways to make biriyani , all versions are yummy, some are just with green masalas with no spice powders and some with fried chicken, some with little masala  etc etc, My version is a fusion type with  green masala,  other spices and homemade chicken masala.

If you look carefully u can see  that the  rice I used for this biriyani is slighlty different from the usual long grain basamathi rice, we use a small variety of biriyani rice/jeerakasala /kaima rice and this is one of the precious things which I pack  from India every time. I always use try to use this rice for making malabar biriyani and I think the rice  makes a difference in the taste !

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg ( with bones )

To marinate 

Red chilli powder - 1 tbs

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tbs

Chicken masala - 2 tbs ( I used homemade one)

Green paste

Ginger - 1 small piece

garlic - 5-6 cloves

Green chillies - 5

Coriander leaves - handful

Mint leaves - a handful

Salt

For gravy

Onions - 6 medium(thinly sliced )

Tomatoes - 2

oil or ghee ( I used oil )

Fried onions ( from one onion)

For rice

Biriyani rice - 3 cup

Ghee - 2 tbs

Onion - 1 (thinly sliced lenghtwise )

Cinnamon sticks - 2-3 sticks

Cardamom pods - 4-5 

Cloves - 4 

bay leaf - 2

Star anise - 2

Fennel - 1 tbs

Peppercorns - 1tsp (optional )

Lime juice- 1 tbs

Salt

Boiling Water - 5 1/2 cup

Fried onions - from( 1 onion)

For garnishing 

Ghee - 1 tbs

Cashewnuts - 1 tbs

Sultanas /raisins - 1 tbs

Method

1. Soak the biriyani rice in some water for 1/2  hour - 1 hour.
2. Drain the rice  completely and allow it to dry.
3. In a pan add some oil and fry two medium onion (thinly sliced)  until golden brown. Drain it to a paper towel.half of this for layeribng rice and half for  chicken masala.
4. Meanwhile marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under  marination and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
5. In a big wok add oil /ghee( use the same oil used for fried onions) and saute thinly sliced onions . Saute until they are brown, it may take upto 30 minutes.Walk away from  onions and come back once in while and give it a stir.
6. Once onions are well browned add mainated chicken and fry on medium heat for 2-3 minutes to seal the juices of chicken .
7. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until slighlt mushy.
8. Add half of the  fried onions to the masala  and cook covered for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
9. Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pan add 2 tbs ghee and throw in the whole garam masala and fry till a nice smell comes, add in the sliced onions and saute the thinly sliced onions for rice until they are soft and light brown.
10. Add the rice, lime juice , salt and fry the rice for few minutes until rice becomes lighlty  brittle.
11. Add 5 1/2 cups of boiling water, salt and cook till the water has all been abosrbed .Takes about 5-6 minutes.Fluff up the rice with a fork gently.
12. In a oven proof dish layer rice, chicken masala, fried onions and repeat the layering .Cover the dish tightly and pop them into a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 15 - 20 minutes.
13. In a pan add ghee and fry cashewnuts until brown, fry sultanas/raisins until they puff up and keep it aside.
14. Once the biriyani is out of the oven garnish the biriyani with some more fried cashewnuts and sultanas.
15.  We serve it hot with some coconut chutney, raita, pappad, pickles and cabbage thoran but you can
    even enjoy the biriyani on it's own  !