Chicken biryani recipe | spicy chicken biryani | CHICKEN RICE

chicken biryani for approximately 1 kg:

**Ingredients**:
1. **Rice**: 500 gm Basmati rice
2. **Chicken**: 500 gm, cut into pieces
3. **Onions**: 3-4, finely sliced
4. **Tomatoes**: 2-3, finely chopped
5. **Ginger-garlic paste**: 2 tbsp
6. **Yogurt**: 1 cup
7. **Biryani masala**: 2 tbsp
8. **Red chili powder**: 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
9. **Turmeric powder**: 1/2 tsp
10.**Green chilies**: 2-3, slit
11.**Lemon juice**: from 1 lemon
12. **Ghee or cooking oil**: 4-5 tbsp
13.**Whole spices**: 2-3 bay leaves, 4-5 cloves, 2-3 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1-inch cinnamon stick, and 1 tsp cumin seeds.
14. **Salt**: to taste
15. **Water*

**Procedure**:
1. **Preparation**:
- Wash the rice a few times until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.
- Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, half of the chopped mint, half of the chopped coriander, lemon juice, and some salt. Let it sit for at least an hour, preferably longer.

2. **Cooking the Rice**:
- In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add the soaked rice, some salt, and half of the whole spices. Cook the rice until it's 70% done (the grains should still have a bite). Drain the water and set the rice aside.

3. **Cooking the Chicken**:
- In a deep pan or pot, heat ghee or oil. Add the remaining whole spices. Once they splutter, add the sliced onions. Fry until golden brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and cook until tomatoes turn mushy.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until chicken is tender.
- Add the biryani masala, adjust salt, and mix well.

4. **Layering**:
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, layer half of the partially cooked chicken mixture at the bottom.
- Spread half of the partially cooked rice over the chicken.
- Drizzle some ghee,
- Repeat the layers.

5. **Final Cooking**:

- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can also use a dough made of wheat to seal the pot.
- Cook on very low heat for 5,8 minutes. This step is called "Dum" where biryani cooks in its own steam.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for few minutes.

6. **Serve**:
- Gently fluff the biryani and serve with raita or a side salad.

Feel free to adjust spices and quantities as per your preference. Enjoy!