Malabar Chicken Biriyani – A way to Celebrate 3rd Blog Anniversary

Ingredients: (Serves 5 - 6)

Marinate:

Chicken                     --   1 kg
Turmeric powder --   ½ tsp
Green chillies         --   4 – 5 (adjust according to your taste)
Garlic                         --   5 - 6 cloves
Ginger                        --   2 inch piece
Yogurt                       --   ½ cup
Salt                              --   as required

Masala:

Onions                       --   3 large onions
Green chillies         --   4 - 5(adjust according to your taste)
Garlic                         --   5 - 6 cloves
Ginger                        --   2 inch piece
Tomatoes                 --   3 medium tomatoes
Turmeric powder  --   ½ tsp
Coriander powder --  1 tbsp
Almonds/Cashew  --  12 - 15
Mint Leaves             --  ¼ cup chopped, loosely packed
Ghee                           --  3 tbsp
Oil                                --  as required to fry the chicken.
Salt                              -- as required

To Grind:

Cloves                         --   5
Cardamom                --   3
Fennel seeds            --   1 tsp
Cumin seeds             --   ½ tsp
Cinnamon sticks     --   3 inch piece
Star anise                   --  2 petals

To Garnish:

Coriander leaves   --   ½ cup chopped, loosely packed
Mint leaves              --   ½ chopped, loosely packed
Ghee                           --   1 tbsp

Rice:

Basmati Rice           --   3 cups
Water                         --   6 cups
Cinnamon                --   2 piece.
Cloves                       --   4
Cardamom              --   2
Bay leaves               --   2
Whole pepper        --   1 tsp
Ghee                          --   3 tbsp
Lemon Juice          --   4 - 5 tbsp
Cashew nuts & raisins  --   as required

Preparation:

Gravy:

Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces. Grind the green chillies, ginger and garlic. Marinate chicken with salt, minced masala, turmeric powder and yogurt (in the marinade section). Keep it aside for 2 hours or overnight.

Soak the almonds/cashews in water.

In a pan, slightly cook the chicken in the water that has come out after marinating. Cook just until the colour of the meat changes, or just until it boils. Switch off the flame and drain the chicken into another pan. Save the remaining water - the stock.

  

Heat oil in a pan. Shallow fry the chicken until it is slightly brown.

Meanwhile chop onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves & mint leaves.

Grind the cloves,cardamom,fennel seeds,cumin seeds,cinnamon sticks and star anise into a slightly coarse/fine powder (For the gravy) and keep aside.
 
In the same grinder, grind green chillies, garlic, ginger and half of the mint leaves and keep aside.

Once the chicken is fried, In the same pan, add the ghee, then add ground ginger garlic chilly paste. Fry for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until mushy. Add the tomatoes and fry until they are mushy and the masala is dark brown. Add salt and the spice powders in the order - turmeric, coriander powder and ground masala (leave a pinch aside for garnishing). Fry until the raw smell goes off.

Add chicken and let it cook. Add the chicken stock kept aside. Add more water if required.

Grind the nuts into a fine paste and add it to the masala. Let it just boil. Add the remaining mint leaves and switch off the flame. This should form a semi thick gravy. Keep aside.

Rice:

Wash the rice and drain it in a strainer. Keep aside for 10 - 15 minutes so that the water is completely drained off.

Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add cashew nuts. Fry until light brown. Add raisins.Let it puff up. Drain it and keep aside.

Add the whole spices. Fry for a minute or two.Add the strained rice.Meanwhile keep the water to boil. Fry the rice until the water boils. Once the water boil, pour it into the rice and mix. Add required amount of salt and do a salt check on the water. Close the pan and let it cook on a medium flame. The rice will completely absorb the water and will be cooked to 90%. Do not let the rice cook 100% as it ll be overcooked after the dhum process.  Let it cool. Spread the rice on a flat platter to cool it quickly. Use a fork to spread. Using a spoon might break the rice.

Assembly:

Take a heavy bottomed pan or an oven safe dish, if baking. Spread the ghee at the bottom. Generously spread the first layer of rice. Sprinkle some garam masala and chopped leaves. Add some nuts and raisins. Sprinkle some lemon juice.(You can also add the lemon juice while cooking the rice. This is to make the rice softer.) Then add the masala. Top it with rice and the garnishing. Repeat this until the rice and the gravy is used. Make sure to top it with the rice and the garnishing. I use a flat pyrex dish and hence have only 3 layers – rice – gravy – rice. 

Preheat the oven to 250 F. Cover the dish tightly with an aluminum foil and  bake it for 25 mins. Back home, my mom does this in a heavy bottomed pan. She will have around 5 – 7 layers. Close the pan with a tight lid. At times to keep the lid tight, she sticks it with maida dough. Keep the pan on a low flame and also have some charcoal or embers of coconut husk on the top –> The traditional way of baking.

Mix it well and serve with raita, pappad and chammanthi.

Chammanthi:

Ingredients:

Grated Coconut     --   1 cup
Mint leaves              --   3 - 4 leaves
Coriander Leaves --   2 sprig
Green chillies         --   2
Lemon Juice           --   1 tbsp
Salt  to taste

Preparation :

Blend everything except lemon juice to a  smooth mixture. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Serve with hot biriyani. 

Recipe Courtesy: Amma