Hyderabad Biryani

Make deep incisions in the chicken flesh. They should be deep enough for spices to get absorbed, but not so deep that they could render the pieces smaller.

Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the chicken, and let marinate for an hour.

Heat about 100 ml of oil in a pan. Add cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally onions. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add mint leaves.

When onions turn slightly brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20–30 minutes. It should not be fully cooked at this stage.

Add garam masala and coconut powder. Remove from the heat when about ¾ cooked. There should not be much sauce, and the chicken pieces should look roasted.

Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, then add half as much water as rice by volume and 1–2 teaspoons salt. Cook until half done, preferably in an electric cooker. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.

Place about half the semi-cooked rice in it a heat-safe pot or dish about 12 inches (300 mm) in diameter. Next, layer half of the chicken on it, and top with half the remaining rice. Add the remaining chicken, then the rest of the rice.

Heat oil, and deep fry half the sliced onions until golden brown. Similarly fry the cashews. Garnish the top rice layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander.

Cover the dish well. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat. The flame should not be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then rotate the vessel to heat another part of its circumference. In this way, keep rotating the vessel every 2–3 minutes for about 20 minutes. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents with a shake/jerk so prevent the settling of ghee at the bottom.

Remove from the heat, and wait for about 10 minutes before uncovering.

Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy.