Chicken Fry Biriyani

Chicken fry biryani is a delicious and flavorful Indian dish that combines the goodness of biryani rice with marinated and fried chicken pieces. Here's a simple recipe for chicken fry biryani:

Ingredients:

For Marinating Chicken:

500 grams of chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste
For Frying Chicken:

Oil for deep frying
For Biryani Rice:

2 cups long-grain Basmati rice
4 cups water
2-3 green cardamom pods
2-3 cloves
1-inch cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
For Biryani Gravy:

2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green chilies, slit
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
Oil or ghee for cooking
Instructions:

Marinate the Chicken:

In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin powder, and salt. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Fry the Chicken:

Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Carefully add the marinated chicken pieces one by one into the hot oil and fry until they turn golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fried chicken and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil. Set aside.

Prepare the Biryani Rice:

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice along with green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Cook the rice until it's 70% cooked, then drain and set it aside.

Prepare the Biryani Gravy:

In a separate pan, heat some oil or ghee. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for a few more minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Add the chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to separate.
Add the garam masala, half of the chopped coriander leaves, and half of the chopped mint leaves. Cook for a few more minutes.

Assemble the Chicken Fry Biryani:

In a large heavy-bottomed pan or a biryani pot, layer half of the partially cooked rice at the bottom.
Add a layer of the prepared chicken gravy on top of the rice.
Place the fried chicken pieces on top of the gravy.
Add the remaining rice as the final layer.
Garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and mint leaves.

Dum Cooking:

Cover the biryani pot with a tight-fitting lid or seal it with dough to trap the steam.
Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and flavors are well blended.

Serve hot with raita or a salad. Enjoy your homemade chicken fry biryani!