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Chicken Biryani Recipe Using Country Chicken/ നാടൻ കോഴി ബിരിയാണി

A delightful Biryani meal with country chicken marinated in spices and biryani masala
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 10 minutes
Soaking Time:20 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Kerala, South Indian
Keyword: biryani recipe, chicken biryani, chicken dinner, country chicken biryani, naadan kozhi biryani, നാടൻ കോഴി
Servings: 8 people
Author: Winnie Ann Koshy

Equipment

  • 2 Medium Mixing bowl
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Mixer Grinder
  • 2 Heavy Bottom Pan/ Pot
  • 1 Chopping Board

Ingredients

To Marinate Chicken:

  • ½ Kg Country/Desi Chicken cut into medium pieces
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
  • ½ tsp Black pepper powder
  • ½ tsp Garam Masala

To Grind:

  • ¼ cup Ginger or 1 medium sized
  • 10 cloves Garlic
  • 2 Green chilies
  • 1 handful Cilantro/Coriander leaves
  • 1 handful Mint leaves
  • 2 tbsp Plain yogurt/ curd

For Chicken Gravy:

  • 3 medium Red Onion thinly sliced, (reserve ¼ cup from this to make fry onions)
  • 1 large Tomato thinly sliced
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • ½ tsp Fennel seeds powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 + ¼ cup Water or as required
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil

For the Rice:

  • 3 cups Basmati Rice
  • 6 cups Water
  • 5 pods Cardamoms
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • ¼ tsp Black Pepper corns
  • 4 Cloves
  • 1 pinch Fennel Seeds
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 1 tsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter
  • 1 tbsp Lemon/ lime juice
  • 1 tsp Salt to taste

To Garnish:

  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 pinch Saffron Strands
  • 2 tbsp Warm milk
  • 2 + 2 tsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter
  • ¼ cup Cashew nuts and Raisins
  • ¼ cup Red Onion thinly sliced (optional)
  • Oil to fry Onions (optional)

Instructions

To make Rice:

  • Rinse basmati rice until the water runs clear. Soak rice for 20 minutes. Then drain all the excess water and set aside.
  • Boil 6 cups of water in a pot along with the spices and ghee. Once the water is boiled add rice, lime juice and salt, and cook for 10 minutes on high heat.
  • Reduce the heat to low when the water level reduced to the level of the rice and cook for another 10 minutes or until very little water remains in the pot.
  • Turn off the heat and close the pot with a lid. Set it aside for few minutes. The rice will cook again with the heat and moisture inside the pot. Do not over mix or stir the rice while cooking.

To make Chicken Curry:

  • Soak the chicken pieces in turmeric water for 15 – 20 minutes. Wash it in clear water for few times. Drain all the excess water from the chicken.
  • Marinate the chicken pieces for half an hour in the masala powders mentioned in To Marinate section.
  • Grind together ginger, garlic and green chilies in a blender or grinder to a fine paste. In to the same bowl, add Cilantro leaves, mint leaves and curd or yogurt and grind finely.
  • In a heavy bottom pan, pour ¼ cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add the marinated chicken pieces and fry both sides for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • In the same pan, add thinly sliced onions (Refer Note: 4) and sauté till it turns translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes. Add in the tomatoes and cook until it become soft and mushy.
  • Stir in the remaining masala powders except for garam masala and cook for a minute. Then pour the cilantro-mint paste and cook for another minute. Also add ¼ cup water if the masala looks dry.
  • Add the fried chicken pieces along with a cup of water and mix everything until well combined. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 40 – 45 minutes or until the chicken pieces are tender and cooked perfectly. Adjust water accordingly. (Refer Note: 1 & 2) The gravy must be thick with little water.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, add garam masala and give it a stir. Turn off the heat and set the curry aside.

Layering Biryani:

  • Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a pan and roast cashew nuts and raisins. If using fried onions, then reserve ¼ cup onions before adding to the chicken gravy. Heat enough oil to fry in the same pan along with the remaining ghee. Fry the onions on medium heat as small batches. Take the onions out once the color slightly changes to golden brown and lay out in a plate.
  • In a small bowl, mix turmeric powder and saffron strands with warm milk. Allow it to sit for few minutes before using.
  • In a heavy bottom pan, brush the remaining ghee. Layer with half of the chicken pieces and curry. Then layer the top with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of turmeric milk, chopped cilantro and mint leaves, and fried onions. Layer again with the remaining chicken and curry and cover the top with rice. Sprinkle the turmeric milk, cilantro - mint leaves and fried onions.
  • Cover the pot using a lid. If the lid is not tight or has any holes in it, then cover the lid with a kitchen towel and make a tight knot on top of the lid. This allows the steam to conceal inside the pot.
  • Heat a tawa or a griddle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and place the biryani pot on top of the tawa and cook the biryani for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Garnish biryani with roasted cashew nuts, raisins and fried onions. Serve with raita, pappad and lemon pickle.

Video

Notes

  1. If using a pressure cooker to cook the desi chicken, then cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 whistles.
  2. If using store bought or broiler chicken, add less water while cooking. Also it only takes 15 – 20 minutes to cook.
  3. Do not stir rice while cooking. This results in getting soggy rice.
  4. Reserve ¼ cup sliced onions, before using in chicken curry, to make fried onions.