Ambur Chicken Biriyani

Chicken Biryani:

Biryani  is a mixed rice dish from the Indian Subcontinent. It is made with spices, rice and meat or vegetables.The origin of biryani is uncertain. In North India, it is traditionally associated with the Mughlai cuisine of Delhi and the Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow; in South India, it is traditionally associated with the Hyderabadi cuisine.The word "biryani" is derived from Persian language. One theory is that it originates from "birinj", the Persian word for rice. Another theory is that it derives from "biryan" or "beriyan" (to fry or roast).

According to Pratibha Karan, the biryani is of South Indian origin, derived from pilaf varieties brought to India by the Muslim traders and rulers. She speculates that the pulao was an army dish in medieval India: the armies, unable to cook elaborate meals, would prepare a one-pot dish where they cooked rice with whichever meat was available.The only diffrence between Pulao and Biryani is the amount of spices added.

There are two basic types of biryani: pakki ("cooked") and kacchi ("raw"). In pakki biryani, the cooked meat and cooked rice are layered. In the kacchi biryani, raw marinated meat is layered with raw rice before being cooked together.

Now I am going to cook chicken Biryani, one of my fav dish in Ambur style. The Nawabs who lived there followed this style of cooking. But indeed without the cooker .This is nothing but forming the gravy and adding cooked rice to it and giving a dhum.

                             Ambur Chicken Biryani recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian |  Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time:15 mins    |  Cook time: 30mins     |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Rice(Basmati or seeraga samba) - 3 cups

Chicken -1 kg

Onions- 2 chopped

Tomato - 2 nos chopped

Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Chilly Powder (Dhaniya powder mixed) - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chilly - 3 nos

Salt - needed

Mint leaves - 1 handfull

Coriander leaves - 1 handfull

Curd - 1 cup

Ghee or oil -- 1 tbsp

Kesari colour powder/ saffron strands - needed

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                                               To Temper :

Cinnamon stick - 1 no

Star anise - 1 no

Elaichi - 3 nos

Cloves - 5 nos

Bay leaf - 2 nos

Javithri - 1 no

Black cardamon - 1 no

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 Method:

• First wash the rice well and soak  in water and keep it aside.
  

• Cut the chicken pieces and wash them well with turmeric powder an keep it aside. Marinate it with curd. Chop the onions vertically and also the tomatoes. Slit the green chillies and chop the mint- coriander leaves.
  
• Take a cooker and add oil/ ghee and when its hot add the tempering spices . Now add the chopped coriander -mint leaves and onions and saute well. Sprinkle little salt and add ginger garlic paste and mix well.
  
• When the onions turn transluscent and cooked,  add the chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies and saute well.
  
• Add the powders and mix well for 3 minutes, now add the chicken and saute well in the gravy. Add 1/2 cup water and allow it to get cooked. The chciken will release water and thats enough to cook it. Now check for the salt. The rice and chicken should be in 1:2 ratio , then water from the chicken will be enough to cook the biriyani.
  
• Meanwhile take another vessel and add water and allow it to boil Add kesari powder  / saffron strands to it and 1 handfull mint- coriander leaves and allow it to boil. Drain all the water from the soaked rice and keep it ready.
  
• Now the chicken will get cooked well and start to boil forming a kozhambu consistency. It will be thick.
  
• 
  
• When it boils well, add the rice slowly to it and allow it to get cooked in open boil. When the rice is cooked fully (check it by pressing the rice between ur fingers) , Drain the rice using a strainer and add it to the Chicken kozhambu. 

• Now mix it well, the consistency will be like Rasam saatham. Add 2 tsp ghee on top. Now close the lid and keep it least flame for 20mins. Dont put the whistle. Switch of the flame and allow it to rest for 5 minutes then open the lid and trasfer the biriyani into a serving vessel. Serve it with Raitha or any Gravy!!!