ZAFRANI BIRIYANI

• YIELD: 2-3 persons (3 Servings)
• PREP: 20 mins
• COOK: 30 mins
• READY IN: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 500 gm Basmati rice
• 1 Kg Chicken
• 500 gm Yoghurt (dahi)
• 1/2 gm Saffron (keasr)
• 100 ml Milk
• 50 ml Cream
• 10 gm Mint leaves (pudina)
• 10 gm Green coriander (hara dhaniya)
• 4 Ltr Water
• 2 Bayleaves
• 10 Green cardimon (chhoti elaichi)
• 10 Cloves (laung)
• Salt to taste
• 150 gm Butter (makhan) unsalted
• 2 Black cardamom(bari elaichi)
• 4 sticks Cinnamon(dal chinni)
• 5 gm Mace-(javitri)
• 6 gm Caraway seeds ( shahi jeera)
• 100 gm Onions sliced
• 40 gm Ginger (adrak)paste
• 40 gm Garlic (lasan) paste
• 10 gm Red chilli powder
• 10 ml Lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Clean , skin and cut chicken in to 8 pieces.
2. Wash the rice and soak for atleast 30 minutes.
3. Whisk the yoghurt in a bowl and divide into 2 equal portions. Dissolve the saffron in warm milk and cream.Add 1 portion of yoghurt to it. Add the mint and green coriander to this.
4. Pre-heat oven to 150 Deg C.
5. In a sauce pan , boil 4 ltr water and add a bay ;eaf , 2 green caramoms and 2 cloves . Add the rice and salt to taste. Boil for a few minutes until the rice is half cooked .Drain the rice with the whole spices and keep hot.
6. Heat the butter in a pan , add the remaining whole spices and caraway seeds and sauté over medium heat . Add the onions and sauté till golden brown . Add ginger and garlic pastes and red chilli powder and stir for 15 seconds.
7. Add chicken and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add the second portion of plain yoghurt along with approximately 200 ml water ; stir and bring to a boil .Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is almost done.
9. Stir in lemon juice and check the seasoning.
10. Grease the baking dish .Spread half of the chicken mixture , sprinkle half of the saffron/ yoghurt/ coriander mixture over this .Now spread half the parboiled rice .Repeat the process for the remaining half.Cover with a moist cloth and seal with dough.
11. Slow bake in oven for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove and serve hot , garnished with fried almonds.

• CUISINE: Indian
• COURSE: Main Course
• SKILL LEVEL: Advanced