Heavy duty pan is preferred for making this biryani. I am using my trusty dutch oven today for making this recipe. Add in a combination of ghee and oil to the pan. Any vegetable oil will work fine for this recipe. Add in the whole spices. a small piece of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add in the sliced green chillies. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the sliced onions. Saute the onions for a good 6-8 minutes. The onions need to be sauteed well in oil till the onions are golden in colour. It’s important to take the onions to the golden colour as the flavour of caramelised onions is important for this biryani.
The onions should be golden and caramelised after about 7-8 minutes. Add in the ginger garlic paste. Add in the chopped tomatoes. I have used just one big tomato for this recipe. Add in the salt. The rice will be cooked separately. So we are adding salt only for cooking the gravy at this stage. We can always add more if need be at a later stage. Add in the turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Saute for a few minutes. The tomatoes should become mushy and the mixture should look almost dry. Streaks of oil will start to appear once dry.
At this stage, add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Use only the leafy part and discard the stems. Saute for a minute. Add in the chicken. Mix well to combine. Add in the plain curd. Add in the water and mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame for 15 minutes. Do not add any extra water. The chicken will render liquid while cooking. Along with the little water we added, it should be enough to cook the chicken. Cook on a low flame so it does not scorch at the bottom.
While the chicken is cooking, we will get the rice ready.
Boil about three to four litres of water. Add in a tablespoon of salt to the water. When the water is boiling, add in the rice. Its better if rice is soaked for 15-20 minutes. After adding the rice, cook for 5-7 minutes till the rice is half done. The rice should easily break when pressed but still hold firm. At this stage, drain the water and set aside. The rice will continue to cook on the residual heat.
Once the chicken is cooked and ready, add in the rice to the pan. Mix well to combine. The little gravy left behind from the chicken will nicely coat the rice. Add the juice of half a lime. This is optional. If the curd is sour, you can skip the lime.
Now we will put the biryani on dum. Place a heavy dosa tawa on a low flame. Place the biryani pot on top of the dosa tawa.
Cover the lid of the pot with a cloth and then place the lid on top. The cloth will keep the steam by insulating it inside. Cook on a low flame for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes our fluffy chicken biryani is ready to serve.