Fried Chicken Biryani (Poricha Kozhi Biryani)

Ingredients

For the biriyani masala

3 tbsp fennel seeds

6 cloves

6 cardamom pods

1 small piece cinnamon

¼ nutmeg

½ star anise

For the fried chicken

1 kg chicken

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder

1 tsp biryani masala

Salt as required

Juice of half lemon

½ cup coconut oil

3 sprigs curry leaves

For the chicken masala

4 big onions

10 garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger

2 tomatoes

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp biryani masala

1 tsp pepper powder

2 tbsp coriander and mint leaves paste

½ cup chopped pineapple

Salt as required

½ cup water

For the rice

2 cups basmati rice

3 ½ cups water

½ cup masala gravy

4 tbsp ghee

1 big onion

¼ cup cashews

¼ cup raisins

1 carrot

5 cardamom pods

5 cloves

1 small piece cinnamon

1 tsp pepper corns

½ tsp caraway seeds

½ cup chopped pineapple

Salt as required

Coriander leaves

Preparation

Dry roast the whole spices for 5 minutes

Grind this into fine masala powder

Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, chili powder, masala podwer, salt and lemon juice

Keep them aside for at least two hours (you could also marinate the chicken overnight)

Heat coconut oil or sun flower oil in thick bottomed pan

Fry the marinated chicken pieces until brown in color

Fry curry leaves too in the same oil

Set them aside to be used later

Transfer 4 tbsp of the same oil into another pan

Sauté the onions

Into it add crushed ginger – garlic and green chilies

Sauté until the raw smell of the aromatics are gone

Add tomato

Mix well and cook for 5 minutes with the lid on

Add turmeric powder, biryani masala and pepper powder when the tomatoes are nice and mushy

Sauté well

Now add the pineapple, yoghurt, coriander- mint paste and salt as required

Give everything a good mix

Into it add the fried chicken and ½ cup water

Mix well

Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes on low flame

After 10 minutes, open the lid and save some of the gravy to be added in rice

Close the lid again and cook until the rest of the gravy reduces nicely

Meanwhile, wash the rice and soak for 30 minutes

Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed vessel

Fry thinly sliced onion until brown in color

Fry the cashews and raisins in the same pan

Now fry the carrot too

Set them aside to be used later

Roast the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper corns and caraway seeds in the rest of the ghee

Add the pineapple when the spices turn fragrant

When the water in the pineapple gets reduced, add rice

Roast for 5 minutes on low flame

Pour 3 ½ cups hot water and salt as required

When the rice is almost cooked, add the chicken gravy that has been saved earlier

Do not mix or stir after this

Add the fried curry leaves too

Close the lid and cook for 6 more minutes on low flame

Spread the nicely cooked rice on top of the chicken mix that has been cooked earlier

Garnish with fried onion, cashews, raisins and chopped coriander leaves

Close the lid and keep it over low flame for 10 more minutes

Enjoy the fried chicken biriyani with refreshing raita, pickle and papad.