Peas & Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

 

Chicken – ½ kg

Onions – 6 medium sized (4 diced and 2 sliced)

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Garlic - 5 – 6 large                                                 

Coriander – 1 bunch

Curry leaves – 8 - 10

Tomatoes – 3 medium sized

Lemon juice – 1 tbl spoon

Green peas – 1 cup

Cashews – ½ cup

Kishmish – ½ cup

Kesar – one pinch

Basmati Rice – 3 cups (medium sized katories)

Biryani masala (2 table spoons)

Salt

Chilly powder

Jeera

Haldi

Hing

Oil / ghee - 1 cup

 

 

Lets make the rice:

 

Divide the basmati rice into two vessels (2 cups and 1 cup). Wash the rice. Drain the water and keep aside for half an hour.

 

Add 4 cups of water to the 2 cups rice and 2 cups of water to the 1 cup rice. Add salt as per taste. Add one pinch of kesar to the vessel containing one cup rice. Stir well.

 

Pressure cook the rice (three whistles) and keep aside.

 

Keep the garnish ready:

 

Heat 1-cup oil / ghee in a frying pan (kadhai). Fry the sliced onions until golden brown.

Fry the green peas in the same oil / ghee.

Fry the cashews and kishmish.
Spread the fried onions, peas and Cashew kishmish on tissue. The tissue will soak the excess oil

Use the left over oil / ghee to prepare the chicken gravy.

 

 

Its time for the chicken gravy:

 

Dice four onions. Peel the garlic. Cut the ginger in small pieces. Wash and clean the coriander. Wash the curry leaves.

 

Blend all the above ingredients together to make a smooth paste.

 

Dice tomatoes and blend them separately.

 

Heat the left over oil (you could use the same kadhai that you used for frying the onions, peas and cashew kishmish)

 

Add jeera. Once the jeera starts popping add a pinch of hing (asafetida) and haldi.

 

Add the blended mixture of onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and coriander and cook on medium flame for about 10 – 15 minutes.

 

Add the tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes.

 

Add the chicken, Biryani masala, chilly powder, salt and lemon juice and mix well.

 

Cook until the chicken is well done.

 

 

Yummy chicken biryani

 

Take a microwavable vessel with a lid. Preferably a square or rectangle shaped glass vessel 8”X 10”or 10”X 10” in size.

 

Spread a layer of rice (the one without the kesar). Top this layer with the chicken gravy. Cover the chicken gravy with another layer of rice. This time use the rice with the kesar.
Garnish with the fried onions, peas, cashews and kishmish and some coriander.

 

Cover the lid. Microwave for 3 – 4 minutes just before serving.

 

Serve with salad and boondi raita and pickle.