Chicken / Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:
Rice - 3 cups
Mutton or chicken – ½ kilo
Onions – 7-8 medium sized, finely chopped
Tomatoes – 3 medium sized, finely chopped
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Pudina leaves – 1 bunch (take the leaves only)
Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
Biriyani masala – 3 tsp
Rose water – 3 tsp
Kesar – 1 pinch
Milk – 2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Potatoes – 4 medium sized, peeled and cut into halves
Kala jeera – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp

Whole garam masala for rice:
Tejpatta – 2-3
Cloves – 3-4
Cinnamon – 1”inch piece broken into small pieces
Cardamom – 3-4
Black pepper – 4-5
Jeera – 1 tsp
Red chilli – 1


For marination:
Curd – 1 cup
Ginger paste – 2 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 ½ tbsp
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp

Method:

The ‘to be done and kept aside’ tasks:

Marinate the chicken / mutton pieces with the marinade ingredients and refrigerate for atleast half an hour (the more time the better).
Soak the rice in double the quantity of water for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan. Add kala jeera, potatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown.
Fry ½ cup of sliced onions till they are brown.
Soak kesar in milk. (If kesar is not available, you may use food color to give the rice yellow colour)

To prepare Rice:

Boil water in a vessel along with the whole garam masalas.
When the water starts boiling, add the rice, vinegar, salt and 1 tsp of oil.
Keep checking the rice until it is almost done but not fully done.
Strain the water away.
Immediately spread the rice in 2-3 plates. This prevents the rice from being sticky or stops it from cooking further.


The main dish (masala):
In a pan, heat oil and add tejpatta.
Add rest of the onions. Saute till they are golden brown.
Add the tomatoes and sauté till the oil separates.
Now add the marinated chicken or mutton and finely chopped pudina and coriander leaves along.
Add biriyani masala, fried potatoes and adjust salt.
Add a little water if required. The meat and potatoes should cook in this masala itself. (In case of lack of time, the meat and potatoes can be pressure cooked together. Saves a lot of time but the former method gives extra taste)
If there is any gravy left, heat till the water gravy evaporates and meat is left with thick masala.

Final set-up:
Take a heavy bottomed utensil where you would be setting up the Biriyani.
Grease the utensil with a little oil.
Divide the rice into 3 parts and the masala into 2.
Arrange the first part of rice in the utensil first.
Next put half of the masala.
Repaeat the rice – masala – rice layer again.
Decorate the fried onions on top.
Pour the kesar milk so that it is evenly spread across the utensil.
Pour the rose water similarly.
Put ghee on top evenly.
Place the utensil on the lowest heat.
If the ghee on top melts, then you may know that the biriyani is ready to be served.