Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:
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For the Marinade :
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Whole Chicken - 3 lbs
Ginger + Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp

Plain Yogurt/Curds - 2 cups
Red Chilli Powder - 2-3 tsp (adjust as per taste)
Coriander (Dhania) Powder - 1 tsp

For the Rice:
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Basmati Rice - 6 cups
Cloves - 4-5
Cardomom - 3
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Bay Leaves - 8-10
Shahjeera - 1 Tbsp
Star Anise - 2
Green chillies (paste)-4
Onions - 2 large
Unsalted Butter - 1 stick

Marination :
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The first step is to marinate the chicken. Its best if you let the chicken marinate for about 8-12 hrs. So, plan ahead. Cut the chicken into big pieces. Add all the ingredients mentioned above for the marinade, to the chicken and mix well. Cover and let this marinade sit in the fridge for about 8-12 hrs. Its ok even if it is shorter. The longer the chicken is marinated, the better it would taste.

Rice:
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Wash the rice and drain the water. Now, in a wide pan, melt the butter, add the cloves, cardomom, cinnamon and bayleaves. Then add the shahjeera. When they start spluttering, add in the ginger garlic paste. Stir the mixture well, until the ginger garlic is being fried. When the paste turns to about golden brownish, add in the rice. Stir the rice so that the water evaporates and the rice feels dry. Let it fry a bit. Now, measure about 9 cups of water in the rice cooker bowl and add some salt to it. Add the rice mixture to the water and let the rice cook.

Chicken:
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Add some oil to the pan, put the chicken marinade into it after the oil is hot and let it cook. Add salt as needed. After the chicken is cooked, keep it aside until the rice is done.

Slice the onions as thinly as possible and deep fry them.

Take a very wide over safe container (large corningware vessel or a alumium foil tray would be great). Rub some butter in the vessel, so that the chicken doesnt stick to it. Now, spread a layer of chicken, over it a layer of the fried onions and a layer of the rice.. continue doing the layers until the rice, chicken and onions are all well spread out.

Optional : Some people like to use food color (egg yellow or orange). if you want to do that, mix in a pinch of color in half a cup of milk and pour it randomly over the layered rice.

Cover the vessel with aluminum foil sheet.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the rice for about 30 - 40 mins.

Garnish it with cut, boiled egg and some cilantro. The Chicken Biryani is ready to eat.You can serve it with Raita or Alu Kurma. Serves : 4-6 people
This recipe goes to Srivalli's Rice Mela Event @ Cooking 4 All Seasons.