Thalassery Chicken Biryani

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Ingredients:
  1. Chicken - 1.5 kg
  2. Bullet Rice - 4 cups
  3. Onion - 4 big nos.
  4. Ginger Garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
  5. Tomato - 1 big 
  6. Slit Green Chillies - 8 to 10
  7. Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 cup
  8. Chopped Mint Leaves - 1 cup
  9. Curry leaves - 10 to 15 nos.
  10. Curd - 1 tbsp
  11. Cashewnut paste - 1.5 tbsp
  12. Pepper powder - 1 tsp + 1 tsp for marination
  13. Chilli Powder - 1 tsp + 1 tsp for marination
  14. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp for marination
  15. Lemon Juice of 1 lemon
  16. Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
  17. Boiled Water - 9 cups  (for cooking the rice)
  18. Salt - to taste
  19. Whole Garam Masala - Green Cardamom (4), Cloves (6), Cinnamon (1/2 inch stick)
  20. Ghee - 7 to 8 tbsp
  21. Dry Grapes - 50gms
  22. Split Cashewnut - 50 gms
  23. Rose water - 1tsp

Preparation:

  1. Wash and marinate the chicken with pepper powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder and keep it for 30 mins or overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. Fry the entire onion until golden brown. Remove and place over a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.
  3. Fry the cashewnut and dry grapes for garnish.
Chicken Gravy:
  1. Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a pan.
  2. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until it becomes soft.
  3. Add the green chillies and fry for 2 minutes.
  4. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.
  5. Add the marinated chicken and mix well.
  6. Add little mint leaves, salt and mix well.
  7. Cover and cook on a low flame until the chicken is almost 70 to 80% done.
  8. Remove the lid. Add coriander leaves, curry leaves and mix.
  9. Add chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala, curd, cashewnut paste, lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes.
  10. Now add half of the fried onion to the chicken and mix well.
  11. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
  12. Remove the chicken from flame and keep aside.
Rice:
  1. Wash and drain the rice and keep aside for 20 minutes.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a vessel.
  3. Add whole garam masala and fry for a minute.
  4. Add little sliced onion and fry for a min.
  5. Now add the rice and fry for a minute or two.
  6. Add boiling water to this and mix well.
  7. Add salt to taste and cover and cook until it is 80% done.
Layering:
  1. Take a big vessel for making the dum.
  2. Spread the chicken gravy along with the pieces at the bottom of the vessel.
  3. Now add a layer of rice.
  4. On top of the rice, sprinkle fried onion, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, fried cashewnut, fried dry grapes, little ghee, few drops of rose water.
  5. Repeat the same procedure for the remaining rice as well.
Final step for making the Dum:
  1. Make a dough out of maida.
  2. Spread the dough evenly around the edges of the dum vessel.
  3. Place the lid on the vessel and and press the lid tightly on maida.
  4. Now place the vessel along with the lid on top of a tawa and place some weight on top of the lid.
  5. Keep on a low flame and cook for another 20 minutes.
  6. Once done, remove from flame and serve with raita.