When I think of biryani, visions of ancient India during Mughal times come to mind. While doing research for this post, I learnt a lot of things I was not aware of. I knew there were many different kinds of biryanis out there but I didn’t know just how many!! All regions in India seem to have their own version. I also learnt that biryani was brought to India by muslin travelers and merchants- no wonder I think of Mughal times when I am eating the rice dish.  Cooked meat is layered with parboiled rice and then cooked on a very low heat for hours- this style of cooking is called ‘dum‘- another technique that came from the Mughal era. I can picture cooks in the olden times cooking large handis of biryani in their out door kitchens!

Usually when I think of cooking a biryani I get quite lazy- it’s quite a production.  The meat is cooked in a delicious aromatic masala; the rice is cooked separately and some fresh herbs are incorporated into the layers as well. The end result is fabulous but it is time consuming and so this dish is usually cooked for a party or a special occasion. My husband who grew up in the South of India is a rice lover (it is a staple in the south) and so he loves anything made out of rice including a nice flavorful biryani!  We usually go out to this hole in the wall pakistani restaurant- they really know how to make a delicious biryani- it is extremely flavorful and aromatic with the meat tender and just falling off the bone.  They serve the rice dish with an onion relish and a raita on the side.  I made a dry mint raita with mine and an onion tomato relish as well.  The combination of the silky rice and meat with the cool raita and crunchy relish is out of this world! The recipe for the two will be posted tomorrow.

I made this particular biryani with only dry aromatic spices (more like a Kashmiri style biryani) – I did that for two reasons.  First, because I find the aroma and flavor of just dry spices unbelievably delicious; second, because the chicken curry is a lot easier and faster to make- there are no onion and tomatoes to saute for hours!  The other thing I did that was a bit unconventional is that I took the meat off the bone- it makes it easier to eat, especially for my daughter.  Overall it was a very successful attempt and I plan to try a few other biryanis from different regions very soon.
         
• 2 pounds skinless chicken, mix of thighs and drumsticks (cubed mutton, pork, lamb or beef can be used)
• 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil or ghee
• 4-5 cloves
• 2 big black cardamoms
• 3 small cardamoms
• 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons shahi jeera- black cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups parboiled basmati rice (cook in 4 cups of chicken broth for more flavor)
• 1 teaspoon saffron mixed with 2 tablespoons warm milk
• ¾ cup cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup mint, chopped
• A large cheesecloth

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil or the ghee on medium heat. Add the cloves, black cardamoms, small cardamoms, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, shahi jeera, coriander powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and garam masala. Saute for a minute or two until the spices begin to sizzle. Add the yogurt mixed with the half and half. Add the chicken pieces and cook the meat till well browned on medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the chicken broth and mix well. Cover the pan and cook on medium low heat till chicken is done- about 20-25 minutes. Take the cover off and raise the heat to evaporate some of the liquid. The consistency should be similar to a thick soup. Take off heat and let cool. At this point you can leave the pieces on the bone or take the meat off and shred with your hands and add it back to the gravy. Check for seasonings and keep aside.
Divide the chicken mixture leaving one half in the original pan. Divide the rice and put one half in the original pan with the chicken. Add cilantro, mint and the saffron into the pan and mix well and spread evenly. Next, add the remaining half of the chicken mixture on top spreading it evenly over the previous rice and chicken mixture. Now take the remaining portion of the plain rice and spread it all over the chicken (idea is to layer the ingredients). Wet the cheesecloth and spread over the rice and cover with lid. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes and serve with a relish and yogurt.