No-Frills Biryani

On a break from steaming hot Chennai, it has been the most relaxing time in months. At parent’s in Bangalore, the kid busy with visiting mama, husband away in Brazil and parents busy hosting the hulla-gulla, has given me ample time for everything including an attempt at the food for the soul: chicken biryani. While biryani recipes get as elaborate as one wants but the one that works for me is one with minimum frills. Things you need:

• 1 kg chicken or 8 chicken drumsticks
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 6 pods of garlic (grated)
• 1 tablespoon of ginger (grated)
• 4-5 peppercorns (ground)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 green chilli (chopped)
• 1.5 level teaspoon garam masala
• 1 level teaspoon turmeric
• 1.5 teaspoon dhaniya powder
• 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 bayleaf
• 4 cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 cardamoms
• salt for taste
• juice of 1 lime

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• 3 cups of rice
• 3 pods of garlic (chopped)
• 0.5 cup pudina leaves (finely chopped)
• 0.5 cup dhaniya leaves (finely chopped)
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoon salt

Take a liberal amount of oil ( around 5-6 tablespoons) in a large frying pan or wok/kadhai on medium heat. When the oil is reasonably hot put the chopped onion and let it fry till it looses it’s shape and crunchiness (say for around 10 mins). Put the grated ginger garlic, green chilli and pepper corn (wait 2 mins). Add the bayleaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms. In another couple of minutes add the tomato, the powders, lime juice and salt and cover the pan so that the paste doesn’t become too dry. Once the tomatoes become part of the paste add the chicken and cook fully covered for 20 minutes on medium heat and 20 more minutes on low heat. In another pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the garlic. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes before adding 6 cups of water and garam masala and salt. Let it come to a boil and cover until cooked. Mix mint and coriander leaves in the rice. In a big pan put half of the chicken in a layer then put half of the rice and spread it over the chicken. Layer the remaining chicken and put the final layer of rice. Now with a big serving spoon toss the biryani a few times without making it too homogeneous. It is ready to be eaten and any mild raita makes an ideal accompaniment.