Kayikkante Biriyani | Kayees Style Biriyani
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken cut into medium pieces, washed and drained
- 3 cups basmati rice soaked for 20 minutes and drained (I used Sella)
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- Water and salt for draining method
- FOR BIRIYANI MASALA POWDER:
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom
- 10-15 black peppercorn
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- FOR MASALA:
- 1 1/2 garlic around 15-20 cloves
- 1 inch pc ginger
- 4-6 green chillies increase for my spice
- 3 medium sized onions
- 10-15 shallots
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1/2 cup packed chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp pineapple essence refer notes
- FOR GARNISH:
- 2-4 tbsp ghee
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 10-15 cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp mint leaves
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1 tsp pineapple essence
Instructions
- Powder the ingredients under "biriyani masala" and set aside.
- Heat the saucepan in which you have going to cook the masala. Keep aside.
- Grind the garlic, ginger and green chillies into a paste. Add into pan.
- Similarly, grind the onion, shallots and tomato into paste. Grind separately to make sure they are done well. Add into the pan.
- Mix in half the coriander and mint, the yogurt, turmeric, ghee and salt. Keep on the flame.
- Cook for at least an hour on low flame, stirring occasionally, till the masala gets all done and smells cooked. Since all ingredients are added raw, this slow cooking is essential to get the final taste. If the masala seems to be too dry, add a little ghee in between.
- Once the masala is cooked, add the chicken, the biriyani masala powder and around 1/4 cup of water. Cook, tossing in between, till the chicken is almost done.
- Add the remaining coriander and mint leaves, and the pineapple essence. Adjust seasoning and switch off.
- When the chicken is added, you can get the rice cooking. Boil enough water with salt and the whole spices. Add the drained rice and cook till almost done. There should still be a bite in between. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp ghee for the dum ingredients and fry the onions till browned. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins, and set aside.
- Grind the coconut with 1/4 cup water. Strain the coconut milk and set aside.
- For dum, heat a tawa and keep the pan on top. Add the chicken masala, top with the rice. Sprinkle the fried onions, nuts and raisins, coriander leaves, mint leaves, coconut milk, pineapple essence and the ghee (the ghee used to fry plus the remaining ghee).
- Close the lid tight and cook on dum for around 15-20 minutes.
- Open, mix well and serve hot with sallas, cucumber raita and pickle.
Notes
If you using pineapple instead of essence while cooking the paste, add it in the beginning along with all the ingredients. You can use 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple, either fresh or canned.
If using mutton instead of chicken, cook till 3/4th done in a pressure cooker, with some salt and pepper. Add it back to the cooked masala along with the stock and cook till done.
If using mutton instead of chicken, cook till 3/4th done in a pressure cooker, with some salt and pepper. Add it back to the cooked masala along with the stock and cook till done.