Prep time – 30 mins
Cook time – 60 mins
Servings – 8
Ingredients
- 150ml oil
- 50ml ghee
- 5 one inch cinnamon pieces
- 6 cloves
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp dried rose petals
- 1 star anise
- 1 kapok bud ( Marathi moggu )
- 2 black stone flower ( kalpasi )
- 3 bay leaves
- 125 grams garlic pods
- 75 grams peeled ginger
- 400 grams / 4 big sized onions
- 250 grams / 3 big tomatoes
- 20 dried red chillies
- 1 kg chicken pieces with bone
- 1 kg seeraga samba rice
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup curd
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 + 1/2 cup coriander leaves
- 1 + 1/2 cup mint leaves
Cooking instructions
- Soak red chillies in water for half an hour and grind into a smooth paste.
- Peel, chop and grind garlic pods into a smooth paste with as little water as possible.
- Peel and grind ginger pieces into a smooth paste and keep separately.
- Wash and soak seeraga samba rice also for half an hour separately.
Preparation of rice
- In a large pot bring around 2 litres of water to boil.
- After the water boils add the soaked rice, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil.
- Once the rice is added, wait till the water boils again and keep a timer for around 6 to 7 minutes.
- After 6 minutes check the rice. It has to be 75% cooked. If not cook for 1 more minute. Do not overcook or completely cook the rice as it can become mushy.
- At this stage drain the rice with the help of a colander and keep aside.
Preparation of chicken
- In a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed pan, add oil and half the amount of ghee. Once hot, add cinnamon pieces, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, bay leaves, dried rose petals, black stone flower and kapok bud and saute till they sizzle.
- Add garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Then add ginger paste and saute till the raw smell of both ginger and garlic paste goes off.
- Add onions and saute till they are browned.
- Now add the washed chicken pieces and mix thoroughly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 4 minutes.
- Add red chilli paste and mix well.
- Add curd and lemon juice. Cook till the chicken pieces are completely cooked. No need to add water.
- Once the chicken is cooked add 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and 1 cup of mint leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove.
Assembling biryani and dum
- Heat an old iron dosa tawa for 10 minutes on high flame.
- Meanwhile, add the drained rice to the prepared chicken in the pressure cooker/biryani pot little by little and mix well. Mix gently so that the rice does not break. Add 1/2 cup coriander leaves and 1/2 cup mint leaves.
- Now close the pressure cooker/biryani pot and place it over the iron dosa tawa. Reduce the flame to medium. You can even place some heavyweight object over the lid to seal the dum. Leave undisturbed for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open the lid and fluff the rice. Check for desired consistency. It took 30 minutes on dum for me.
- Add 2 tbsp ghee and mix well. Serve hot!!
Cooking instructions with step by step pictures
Soak red chillies in water for half an hour and grind into a smooth paste.
Peel, chop and grind garlic pods into a smooth paste with as little water as possible.
Peel and grind ginger pieces into a smooth paste and keep separately.
Preparation of rice
Wash and soak seeraga samba rice also for half an hour separately. In a large pot bring around 2 litres of water to boil. After the water boils add the soaked rice, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil.
Once the rice is added, wait till the water boils again and keep a timer for around 6 to 7 minutes. After 6 minutes check the rice. It has to be 75% cooked. If not cook for 1 more minute. Do not overcook or completely cook the rice as it can become soggy. At this stage drain the rice and keep aside.
Preparation of chicken
In a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed pan, add oil and half the amount of ghee. Once hot, add cinnamon pieces, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, bay leaves, dried rose petals, black stone flower and kapok bud and saute till they sizzle.
Add garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Then add ginger paste and saute till the raw smell of both ginger and garlic paste goes off.
Add onions and saute till they are browned.
Now add the washed chicken pieces and mix thoroughly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
Add red chilli paste and mix well.
Add curd and lemon juice. Cook till the chicken pieces are completely cooked. No need to add water.
Once the chicken is cooked add 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and 1 cup of mint leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove.
Assembling biryani and dum
Heat an old iron dosa tawa for 10 minutes on high flame.
Meanwhile, add the drained rice to the prepared chicken in the pressure cooker/biryani pot little by little and mix well. Mix gently so that the rice does not break. Add 1/2 cup coriander leaves and 1/2 cup mint leaves.
Now close the pressure cooker/biryani pot and place it over the iron dosa tawa. Reduce the flame to medium. You can even place some heavyweight object over the lid to seal the dum. Leave undisturbed for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, open the lid and fluff the rice. Check for consistency. It took 30 minutes on dum for me.
Add 2 tbsp ghee and mix well. Serve hot!!
