• For Biryani:
• 1. Basmati Rice – 4 Rice cooker cups (I measure rice with rice cooker cups and rest with US standard cups)
• 2. Chicken – 2 pounds/1kg, with or without bones cut into medium sized pieces
• 3. Oil – 1 tablespoon
• 4. Salt – 2 tablespoon
• 5. Cardamoms – 2
• 6. Star anise -1
• 7. Food color/Saffron – Soak in 1 tablespoon of water.
• For marination:
• 1. Cloves/Lavang – 6
• 2. Cinnamon/Dalchini – 1 inch piece
• 3. Cardamom/Elachi – 4
• 4. Star Anise – 2
• 5. Black Cardamon – 2
• 6. Bay leaves – 5-6
• 7. Black peppers – 20
• 8. Javitri/Mace – 2
• 9. Shaji Jeera/Black Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• 10. Yogurt/Curd – 1 1/2 Cup
• 11. Green chilies – 2, Split
• 12. Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
• 13. Salt – 1 teaspoon
• 14. Mint – 1 cup, chopped
• 15. Cilantro – 1 cup, chopped
• 16. Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons
• 17. Turmeric – 1/2 teaspoon
• 18. Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tablespoons
• 19. Oil – 2 teaspoons

Wash chicken pieces and drain completely. Make small slits into the chicken pieces with knife, in this way the spices incorporates well into the chicken. Add salt, lemon juice, turmeric and leave for 10 minutes.

Add rest of the ingredients for marination and refrigerate overnight, or at least 3-4 hours.

Rinse the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. In a heavy deep pan boil about 2 liters of water.

Let the water bubble, add salt, cardamoms, star anise, oil to the boiling water and cook for 1 more minute.

Now add rice and cook for just 5-6 minutes under medium-high heat(7 out 10 flame setting).

Drain the rice immediately. In a different pan add the chicken pieces, spread them flat and add the rice on top of the chicken pieces.

Spread rice in the pan, pour saffron water, so that it spreads on some of the rice.

Cover with a cloth and keep a plate or some heavy item on top so that the flavor wont go away, and cook for 10 minutes under medium heat(5 out of 10 heat setting) , 10 minutes under high heat(7 out of 10 heat setting) and again 10 minutes under medium heat(30 minutes total).

Transfer the rice and chicken pieces into a wide bowl and mix them together.

Garnish with some onions, lemon and serve hot with sherwa and raita.

by Pak101.com (few years ago!) / 3275 views