Ingredients:

• 1 kg – broiler chicken, cut into medium-sized pieces
• 500 g – basmati rice, washed and soaked for about 30 minutes
• 400 g – thick curd, beaten
• 8-10 – Green chillies
• 1/4 cup – oil
• 15 Cloves – Garlic
• 8 – green Cardamoms
• 6 – Onions
• 6 – Cloves
• 2″ piece – Ginger
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 2 – Cinnamon sticks
• 2 – black Cardamoms
• 2-3 – Bay Leaves
• 2-3 drops – yellow colour
• 2-3 drops – Orange colour
• 2 tsp – Ghee
• salt to taste
• For garnishing: 2 – onions, finely sliced and deep fried
• 100 g – cashewnuts, sliced and lightly deep fried

Method:

1. Grind the onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies and cumin seeds to a paste.
2. Clean and wash the chicken pieces.
3. Marinate the chicken in the beaten curd with salt. Keep aside for at least two hours.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadhai. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaves.
5. Fry for a few seconds and add the ground paste.
6. Saute on low flame until the paste is well cooked and the oil separates.
7. Add the marinated chicken. Cover and cook with some water on low flame.
8. Gently mix at regular intervals. Cook until the chicken is tender.
9. In the meantime, par boil the rice with salt. Drain out the water completely.
10. Spread out the rice on a big plate and cool completely.
11. Divide the rice into three equal portions. Add yellow colour to one portion, orange to another and let the third be as it is.
12. Keep the orange and yellow portions of rice separate.
13. Arranging the biryani: Lightly heat ghee in a heavy bottomed degchi. Then proceed as follows.
14. First layer: Spread out some gravy of the chicken.
15. Second layer: Spread out half of the orange rice.
16. Third layer: Place half of the chicken with some gravy.
17. Fourth layer: Spread out a layer of yellow rice.
18. Fifth layer: Place the remaining chicken.
19. Sixth layer: Top it with the remaining orange rice and plain rice.
20. Garnish with fried onions and fried cashewnuts.
21. Place the degchi on a pre-heated tawa.
22. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
23. Serve hot with sliced onions, lemon wedges, mint chutney, pappads and pickles.

Recipe courtesy of Anita Raheja