Layered chicken biryani is an authentic biryani recipe, prepared with basmati rice. It is also known as dum chicken biryani, where rice is separately prepared and chicken gravy is separately and layered one by one and cooked in dum/ low flame,  Making a chicken biryani is a lengthy process but totally worth it. Plus you make biryani only occasionally so do put your heart into making it and I promise it will turn out fabulous 🙂      

Preparation time – 30 min

Marination time – 1 hr

Cooking time – 40 min

Serves – 4

Ingredients –

• 7-8 Onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown)
• 10-15 Cashews
• 10 – 15 raisins
• For marination –
• 1 Kg Chicken on the bone cut into medium pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 Tsp ginger garlic paste
• salt to taste
• Other ingredients –
• 500 gm Basmati Rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least half an hour)
• 3-4 Tbsp oil
• Oil for frying the onions
• 6-7 cloves
• 2 (1 inch) Cinnamon
• 4 green Cardamoms
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1/4 Tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera/black cumin seeds)
• 4 large Tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1/4 Tsp of mace
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder
• 1 Tsp red Chili powder (to taste)
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Tsp garam masala powder
• 2-3 green Chilies (adjust to taste,)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
• 3-4 Tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups of fresh green Coriander (chopped)
• 1 cup mint leaves chopped

Method –

To make or to prepare Layered biryani –

Slice the onions very thinly (almost paper thin) using a sharp knife. Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
Separate the sliced onions using your finger tips. Put the onions in the oil and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Keep stirring the onions, so that they get evenly browned. The trick is to evenly and slowly brown the onions. If the flame is very high the onions will burn on the outside and remain watery on the inside.

Once a uniform color is obtained, drain on thick layer of kitchen paper, so that maximum oil is soaked. Keep these aside.
As they cool down, the onions will become crispy.

Marinate the chicken pieces in 1 cup yogurt, 2 Tsp garlic paste and little salt, for 1 hour.

Heat a big vessel, boil 2 – 3 liters of water in it, add 1 stick cinnamon, 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1/4 tsp of Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) and more salt, add soaked rice

Boil on a high flame and let the it boil on high flame for about 5-7 minutes.

Do not over boil the rice. To check if the rice is done you can take a grain of rice out and press in between your thumb and forefinger to check.

If the grain breaks easily, it means your rice is cooked just right. Now strain the rice with a colander to drain the water in it.

Keep all the ingredients ready to start as shown above image. Grind ginger garlic to a coarse paste without adding water, chop coriander and mint (divide 1/2 part and set aside for to add it finally)

Heat a pan by adding oil and ghee in it, when it is hot add bay leaves, star anise, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, mace string saute in oil for a minute.

Add slit green chilies, onion chopped coriander and mint, fry until onion turns translucent.

Add chopped tomato and fry until it becomes soft.

Add powder spices, fry properly together

Add marinated chicken and cook until done

Add salt to taste. Cook until it is done in a medium flame.

In 1/2 cup of warm milk crush a pinch of saffron strands and put some whole strands. Wait till it turns yellow. Keep on one side.

Take a deep heavy bottom pan with a lid. First spread some ghee at the bottom of the pan.
Second a layer of rice, followed by a layer of chicken. Now sprinkle a generous handful of chopped coriander and fried onions, roasted cashew and raisins.

Repeat the layers with rice being the top most layer. Sprinkle the leftover onions and all the cashews and raisins.

Pour the milk and saffron on the top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area.

Once all layers are set, take melted ghee and with a spoon pour it around the rim of the vessel and a little on the rice. Close the lid and seal.

After 15 minutes turn off the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before you serve/ open it.

Enjoy delicious, aromatic  layered chicken biryani !!!