Chettinad Chicken/Kozhi Biriyani

This is a recipe that I have standardized over the years. It is my style tamil-chettinad biriyani, influenced by my mom-in-law. My family and friends love the flavours and the taste of this biriyani, especially when served with simple thayir pachadi (Raitha). A boiled egg would add to the flavours.

Mangai Nivaskumar @cook_7828210

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 cupsSeeraga samba rice
750gmFreshly cut chicken pieces (with bone)
1 bunchMint leaves
1 bunchCoriander leaves
2 sprigsCurry leaves
1tomato
1thin sliced red onion (big)
20garlic pods
1 spoonginger garlic paste
1 pinchTurmeric powder
whole garam masala (Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon, Bay leaf-2, Kalpasi-1, cloves-3, cardamom pods-2, star anise-1)
3-4green chillies
To taste-salt
1 teaspoonFresh coconut milk
1 spoonbiryani masala (if preferred)
Vegetable oil/ghee

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Steps

1

Clean the chicken pieces with turmeric and strain. Leave it aside.
2

Wash the rise and soak in water (1:2) for 30 minutes.
3

In a heavy bottom pan (pressure cooker), heat the oil and add the dry garam masala one by one and sought for sometime. Take care not to burn any of them.
4

Add the cut onion and stir now. To this add the washed mint leaves and sought until the raw smell is gotten rid off.
5

Add the ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, coriander leaves and around 10 garlic pods and sought.
6

Now add the chicken pieces, and mix well. Add one cut tomato, salt and turmeric and mix well. Once the chicken pieces are well tossed add some water and pressure cook (until 3/4th cooked).
7

Once the pressure comes down set this aside.
8

In another pressure pan, take oil and if you wish you can split the whole garam masala and repeat the first step in oil/ghee.
9

Add the rest of the garlic pods and the chicken mixture. Keep on high flame and let the water evaporate while stirring.
10

Add only the soaked rice and minimize the flame and stir well. The rich must not get burned but mixed along with the chicken and masala.
11

Add the required water that was used to soak the rice in. Add biryani masala (Aachi) and coconut milk. Taste the water for salt. Always remember to add more salt to taste (tolerable)at this point. It will get normalised once cooked. Place the pressure cooker lid (with whistle) and cook for 5-8 minutes at medium flame. Open once the pressure has subsided and allow to air dry. Kozhi biriyani ready.