Grilled Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:-

For the rice:-

1. Basmathi or Kaima rice – 2 cups ( I had used Kaima)
2. Ghee – 1 tsp.
3. Green cardamom – 3 numbers
4. Boiling water – slightly less than 4 cups
5. Salt – 2 tsps.
6. Onion – 1/2 a medium; thinly sliced and deep-fried

For the grilled chicken:-

1. Chicken – 500 grams; cut into bite size cubes
2. Tandoori masala powder – 2 level tbsps. ( I used Natco Brand)
3. Orange red food colour – 1/4 tsp.
4. Kashmiri chilly powder – 1/2 tsp.
5. Salt – 3/4 tsp.
6. Roasted and crushed coriander seeds – 1/2 tsp.
7. Oil – 1 tbsp.
8. Garlic – 4 big cloves; ground to a paste
9. Ginger – 1 tsp.; ground to a paste
10. Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp.
11. Thick Curd – 1/2 cup

Put curd in a strainer for an hour. Marinate the chicken cubes with all the ingredients from 2 to 10 and the strained curd for 2-3 hours. Place the chicken pieces in a baking tray lined with foil. Cover the tray with a foil and bake the chicken in a 200C preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reserve any juices left after cooking the chicken. Give the grilled chicken pieces a charcoal dum. 

For the masala:-

1. Oil – 2 tbsps.
2. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp. ( I used 2 big garlic cloves and 1/2 heaping tsp. of ginger)
3. Greenchilly – 1 number (slit)
4. Onions – 2 medium; deep-fried till golden brown and crisp and crushed with hand
5. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp.
6. Kashmiri chilly powder – 3/4 to 1 level tsp.
7. Tomato – 1 cup; pureed in the mixer/blender
8. Cilantro – 1/4 cup
9. Chopped mint – 1/8 cup
10. Salt to taste
11. Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp.
12. Water – 2 tbsps.

Method:-

1. Heat oil in a broad non-stick pan and add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fried onions and the slit greenchilly and mix. Stir in the chilly powder, turmeric powder and cook for a minute on low heat. Add the tomato puree, cilantro and mint leaves, garam masala powder, salt and cook till the oil starts to separate. Add the reserved chicken gravy and mix. If the gravy is too dry you may add 2 tbsps. of water.
2. Soak the Basmathi/Kaima rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain water from the rice and set aside. Heat 1 tsp. of ghee in a deep bottomed pan and add the cardamom. Stir in the rice and fry for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Add boiling water and salt & cover cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the fried onion and mix.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C. In an oven proof dish, spread half of the cooked rice. Spread the tomato masala mixture over the 1st layer followed by the the remaining rice. Cover with a foil and bake at 180C for 15 minutes. Do not put the chicken pieces now.
4. Mix the rice with the masala. Serve rice with the grilled chicken on top.

Source:- Masala Mornings; recipe slightly modified