Hyderabadi Chicken Briyani

Briyanis are quite famous and most popular dishes in Hyderabad..Personally i felt this chicken briyani is one of the best and most delicious, fantastic dish which is prepared by cooking the meat and rice in an air tightened pot on very low flame so that the rice is cooked along with the spiced marinated meat and the rice gets the aroma of the meat as the meat get cooked directly from the heat of the flame and rice is cooked with steam coz of the dum cooking, its a length process but its really worth to try of out this droolworthy dish..U have many choice to make out this briyani either by cooking marinated meats or with marinated raw meats..

This briyani is cooked in layers by alternating the meats and half cooked rice,finally the meat and rice get cooked well in simmer flame..I used chicken for making out this briyani, which i marinated with spices and arranged them in fridge overnite, the next day i cooked the rice until they get half cooked along with spices..Also i prepared by cooking chicken for making briyani by sauting them with onions until the chicken pieces get half cooked..Finally i arranged the cooked rice over the sauteed spiced chicken pieces and cooked until they get completely well cooked by sealing the vessel with wet kitchen towel...Enjoy this delicious briyani with simple raita and boiled eggs..This is our sunday's special briyani, we loved it..Also its one of my father's favourite who introduced us to this famous hyderabadi briyani for the first time at home...



For Marination:
1kg Chicken (cut into large pieces)
1/2cup Yogurt
2tbsp Ginger garlic paste
2tsp Chilly powder
2tsp Coriander powder
5nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1cup Mint leaves (chopped)
1/2cup Coriander leaves (chopped)
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
1tbsp Lemon juice
2tsp Garam masala powder
1tsp Shah jeera
1/2tsp Cumin powder
Salt

Fried Onions:
2nos Onions(big & sliced)
Oil

For Rice:
4cups Basmati rice (soaked for 15 minutes)
3nos Cardamoms
2nos Cloves
2nos Bay leaves
2nos Cinnamon sticks
Salt
1/2tsp Saffron strands
1/2cup Milk

For briyani topping:
Fried onions
Oil
Mint leaves (chopped)

Deep fry the sliced onions until they turns golden brown and keep aside..Clean the chicken pieces, squeeze out the water and add all the ingredients given in the list for marinade along with some fried onions and sit in fridge for overnite..

Bring boil enough water along with all spices given for making out rice, add the rice and continue to cook until the rice get half cooked..drain the water and keep aside the rice.

Heat enough oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until the rice get half cooked, meanwhile soak the saffron strands in warm milk.

Now arrange the already cooked rice over the cooking rice, springle fried onions, saffron soaked milk, mint leaves and springle some oil over the rice.

Close the vessel with a lid,seal the lid with wet cloth completely.Cook for 10 minutes in medium high flame and for 15minutes in simmer..Let it sit for few minutes before opening the vessel..

Give a stir before serving and serve the briyani hot with raita or boiled eggs..