Hyderabadi Biriyani

The first time I heard about Hyderabadi Biriyani and had it too , was when I was in Hyderabad for my friend's marriage. She took me to a authentic hyderabadi restaurant which was famous for their biriyani. I just loved the aroma and the taste it bought with it. It was so tasty that I cannot describe what exactly was the secret ingredient behind the biriyani. Though I could not reproduce the same effect with my version of this Hyderabadi Biriyani, I made this with help from a friend who is from Hyderabad and a good cook too....She told me that the meat which we use in this biriyani is marinated for a long time in curd and spices. So thats the secret I guess. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless) : 4 large pieces cut into bite sizes

Basmati rice: 2 cups

Onion: 2 sliced long

Capscicum: 1 no

Garlic: 3 pods

Ginger paste: 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves: 2 or 3 strands chopped into small pieces for garnish

Cashewnut: 1/2 cup (optional)

Raisins: 1/2 cup (optional)

Curd: for marinating the chicken

Water: 3 cups

Butter: 2 tablespoons

Green chilli:3 nos

Spices:

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Cloves: 1 - 2 nos

Star-Anis: 2 nos broken into pieces

Cinnamon powder: 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon or according to taste

Cumin powder: 1/2 teaspoon

Nutmeg powder: 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

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Marinate the chicken in curd, salt, chilli powder, and coriander powder. Keep the chicken refrigerated while marinating it. Marinate it for a whole night if you are preparing a day early or for around 4 hours if you want to prepare it in a hurry:)

In a small vessel heat oil and add the raisins and saute until they have become plump. Also saute cashewnuts seperately in the same oil.

Heat a wide bottom vessel which can be used to prepare the biriyani. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and add chopped garlic, ginger paste, cloves, star-anis and let it saute for 10 seconds.

Then add the chicken pieces and saute in high fire until chicken pieces turn brown. This might take around 15 minutes, adjust the fire accordingly in between the sauting so that the chicken pieces do not stick to the bottom of the vessel.

After that, add the chopped onion, capscicum and green chillies to the vessel and saute until everything is partially cooked. Then add the rest of the spices and saute.

Add the rice to the vessel and mix uniformly. Add water, salt and cover the vessel. Cook until all water is completly absorbed. Then garnish with coriander leaves and raisins and cashewnuts.

Enjoy this meal with a chicken curry or raita!