Chettinad Chicken Biriyani

An aromatic biriyani cooked in a pressure cooker wherein the rice is cooked with the chicken infused with the richness of coconut milk and spices. This biriyani was bookmarked in my to make list since a long time, finally made it as per the recipe in my dear friend Rafee's blog. She has got an amazing collection of biriyanis and moreover each recipe I have tried out from her place was absolutely lip-smacking.

Ingredients

1 kg chicken, cut into medium pieces
3 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 cardamoms
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp fennel seeds
3 large onions, sliced thin
4-5 green chillies ,slit
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1-1/2 cup hot water
1-1/2 cup coconut milk
a handful of mint and coriander leaves chopped



Method

• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker(you must use a big one). Add the cloves, peppercorns, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf and fennel seeds and fry for a minute.
• Now add the sliced onions and green chillies. Saute until the onion turns translucent.
• Add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute well until the raw smell goes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, chicken and salt. Mix well and cook until the chicken is three fourth cooked.
• Pour the hot water and coconut milk. Add the rice, half of the mint and coriander leaves and mix well. Close the cooker. Put on the whistle and cook on medium flame.
• Once the cooker gives off one whistle, switch off and allow the pressure to go by itself.
• Once the cooker is ready to open, open and fluff up the rice with a fork.
• Garnish with the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
• Serve with an onion raita, pappad and pickle.

*You can garnish with ghee fried cashewnuts and raisins too.