Malabar Kozhi Biriyani (Chicken Biriyani)

Ingredients:
For Marinating Chicken:
Turmeric -1 t spoon
Red chilly - 1/2 t spoon
Salt - To taste

For Chicken Masala:
Chicken - 6-7 big pieces (Preferably leg, thighs or breast)
Onions - 4 medium (Sliced lengthwise)
Tomato - 3 medium (Chopped lengthwise)
Cooking oil - 2 table spoon
Chicken Masala - 2 t spoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Yoghurt - 1 table spoon
Fennel seed - 1/2 t spoon
Garlic - 5 clove
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
Green Chilly - 3 nos
Cardamom - 3
Mint leaf - 10
Coriander leaf - 1

For Rice:
Rice - 3 cups
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Water - 6 cups

For Garnishing
Cashew - 15
Raisin - 15
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch (Break it into small pieces)
Onion - 1 small (Chop it lengthwise)
Flower spice -3
Bay leaf - 3 (Cut into pieces)
Oil - 1 table spoon
Ghee - 2 table spoon

Marination:
Mix salt, turmeric and red chilly powder with very little water. Apply it evenly on the chicken pieces and keep aside for 15-20 minutes

Preparation:
For Chicken:

1. Grind fennel seed, garlic and ginger in mixer.
2. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
3. Add onion and saute until it becomes soft.
4. Add chicken masala and stir well for 15-20 seconds.
5. Add tomato and one t spoon of the paste prepared in step 1 and stir for another 20-30 seconds.
6. Add the marinated chicken and rest of the paste and mix well.
7. Add yoghurt (Or lime juice), mix well and close the lid. Cook over medium flame
8. Once chicken is almost cooked add cardamom, mint leaf, curry leaf and coriander leaf
9. Chicken masala is now ready. Keep it aside for mixing it later with rice.

For Garnishing:
We will first prepare the garnishing item as we can use the same oil and ghee for frying the rice.

1. Heat cooking oil and ghee in a wok
2. Add sliced onion and saute it till deep golden brown
3. Then transfer it to a plate.
4. Add rest of the spices and heat it till fragrant
5. Transfer these to a plate.

For Rice:
Wash and drain the rice using a colander.
Heat 6 cups of water in a separate bowl and boil it.

1. Add one more table spoon of ghee to the wok after transferring the garnishing items out of the wok.
2. Once heated add the dried rice and fry it till rice becomes firm and rigid.
3. Add boiled water, salt and close the lid and cook over low flame.
4. When water is almost over, turn off the flame. But don't open the lid and keep it aside for 15 minutes, until the rice is completely cooked.

Layering:
For layering we need a vessel big enough to hold rice and chicken. Or you can use the wok itself.

1. Put rice and chicken in alternate layers starting with rice.
2. Add chopped coriander leaves while adding chicken
3. Garnish with initially prepared spices.
4. Cover the vessel with a well fitting lid (air tight) and heat over low flame for around 1 minute.
5. Keep the lid closed for another 10 minutes

Chicken biriyani is now ready to serve. I have just copied out my amma's way of cooking kozhi biriyani except that i didn't any colors. Last weekend i tried this & turned awesome.