Traditional Madrasi Chicken Biryani

The traditional madrasi biryani is very popular in South India especially in Chennai where not a single muslim function or event is complete without this being served. Its aroma fills the air and you can smell the biryani at least 5 houses down the street. It is so insanely delicious! 

The art of the traditional madrasi biryani lies in its technique and the few tips and tricks which add to its flavour and taste.  The flavour is enhanced by adding selected whole garam masala spices. Adding too many garam masala spices or garam masala powders mars its flavour and adding cashew or almond paste makes the rice grains sticky.  

What is important in a delicious biryani is a combination of  flavour, texture and taste and this is achieved by adding the right spices, the right quality and the right proportions of all the  ingredients and at the right time using the right technique. It is like a marriage which comes together when everything is in perfect harmony.  

Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 whole + 1/2 a breast (2kgs)
Onions - 6 medium size
Tomatoes - 5 medium size (preferably plum)
Cloves - 10
Green cardamoms - 8
Cinnamon sticks - 2- 3 (2 " inch sticks)
Vegetable oil - 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 cup
Thick yoghurt - 1 cup
Green chillies - 10 -12 small size
Mint leaves - a handful
Cilantro chopped - 1 cup
Saffron - 1 generous pinch
Milk   - 1/2 a cup
Turmeric- 1/2 a tspn
Red chilly powder- 1tspn
Basumati Rice - 5 cups (Long grain rice )

*Some of the good brands of regular basumati rice are  817, Lal Qila, Tilda etc.

Method:

Peel, wash and slice the onions. You could use a food processor as it is much easier. Grind the ginger garlic paste. Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters, remove the stems from the green chillies, wash and chop coriander, wash mint leaves and keep aside.                                          

                                          

Heat 1 cup of oil in a big pot. Add the whole cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamoms.  

Add the sliced onions and fry them on medium heat stirring on and off taking care not to burn them. The onions first turn translucent and then start turning golden brown. This takes atleast 10 to 15 mins. 

The onions should be evenly brown as in the picture.

Stir in the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and red chilly powder. When it leaves an aroma add the tomatoes and green chillies.

Let the tomatoes soften a bit, then add the chicken pieces. 

Roast the chicken in the masala by turning it over gently taking good care not to break the pieces. This should be done on medium to high heat.  

Add the yoghurt followed by mint leaves and chopped coriander. 

Let the chicken cook for sometime on medium heat till the broth thickens a bit and a whiff of the aroma comes out when you open the lid. At this stage the chicken yakhni (biryani curry) is ready. Squeeze in the juiice of half a lime and adjust the  salt. 

Now transfer the chicken to a roaster. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Boil the soaked basumati rice (regular rice should be washed and soaked for 1/2 an hr and the golden sela basumati for 2 - 4 hrs) till it is half cooked. The grains should be soft outside but still brittle inside. 

                                            

Drain the rice and pour it over the yakhni (the prepared chicken biryani curry) in the roaster. Top it with chopped coriander and  mint leaves. Dissolve saffron in 1/2 a cup of milk and sprinkle the half the saffron milk on the rice. Add the food coloring to a few grains of cooked rice and sprinkle the colored rice on top.

Close the lid well as firm but not brittle inside. If you find it gritty then bake it for 5 more minutes. Once it is done,  remove from the oven, add the remaining saffron milk, close the lid and let the roaster rest for 5 more minutes. The saffron flavour comes out.and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins.

With the help of a flat round spatula gently turn over and mix the biryani from the bottom to the top little by little taking care not to break the chicken pieces.  And as you mix, keep transferring the biryani to the serving platter a little at a time. Do not mix the biryani all at once as this will not only break the chicken pieces but also he rice grains. You have to slowly and gently mix it little by little with all patience.The steaming hot biryani is now ready. Enjoy the chicken biryani with onion raita and egg plant chutney. 

Cooking Tips:

1. When you soak the basumati rice the water should be atleast 4 inches above the rice. If there is less  water the rice would tend to break and become sticky.

2. Boil the rice in a big colander or pot which can hold atleast 2 litres of water. If you boil 1 kg of rice in a 1 litre pot then the rice woud become sticky and mushy.

3. To test the rice for doneness, take a grain of rice and press it between your index finger and thumb. It should leave 3 small brittle grains on your finger. If the rice is not done yet then you wouldn't be able to press the rice. Therefore it should be just a little soft on the outside but still gritty inside. .

4. For extra flavour,smash 3-4 green cardamoms just to open them a little and add them to the yakni when it is simmering in the roaster just before adding the rice. 

5. Adding saffron milk right at the end brings out the extra flavour.

6. I also add a little ghee on top of the rice before steaming it in the roaster at the final stage  for added flavour . 

7. Instead of pouring the saffron milk on the biryani,, you can melt butter in the saffron solution, add some of the boiled basumati rice to it and then sprinkle the butter flavoured saffron rice on top. This also enhances the flavour. 

8. Use preferably plum tomatoes or vine tomatoes as they are not very tangy. 

9. Choose medium sized freshly slaughtered yellow grain fed chicken.

10. Yoghurt should be thick, creamy and sour. I prefer balkan style astro yoghurt or the 3.5% plain astro yoghurt. 

11. Use the darker variety of cinnamon not the lighter ceylon cinnamon which is used in mostly desserts. 

12. For food coloring use the natural food coloring such as cochineal. the other dyes (red no.1 and red no.40) carry great health risks as they come from petroleum byproducts.

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