Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 4 cups(150ml cup) of Basmati(Long grain) Rice
• 500grams Chicken (Bone or Boneless)
• 1 Large Onion chopped lengthwise
• 4 Green Chillies,chopped lengthwise
• 1cup fresh Cilantro/Coriander Leaves
• 1cup fresh Mint Leaves
• 1tablespoon of Lime Juice
• 3tablespoon Warm Milk
• 4 Cloves, 4Cardamoms, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 4 Bay Leaves, 4 Star anise
• 1tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2teaspoons Red Chilli Powder
• 1/4teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/2teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/4teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1cup thick and fresh Yoghurt
• A pinch of Saffron
• 6 cups water(150ml cup)
• Oil for deep frying
• 30ml Oil
• 1tablespoon Ghee(Clarified Butter)

Method:

• Wash thoroughly rice and soak them in water for 15minutes
• Mix saffron with 3tablespoons of warm milk and keep aside.
• Mix well chicken pieces, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, garam masala, yoghurt, turmeric powder and marinate it for 1 hour.
• Heat oil for deep frying. Fry chopped onions until they turn golden color and crispy.
• Meanwhile cook rice in a large pot with 6 cups of water, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, star anise, salt to taste and 1tablespoon oil. Cook until rice is 3/4th cooked. Do not over cook the rice, be careful at this step. Keep aside.
• Now take a pressure cooker ( I used 10litres capacity pressure cooker). Pour 20ml oil at the bottom and arrange the marinated chicken and sprinkle little oil on the top of the chicken. Add half of the rice on the top of chicken pieces. Add Mint and Coriander leaves on the top of the rice. Again add a half of the left over rice on top of them and add fried onions and green chillies on it. Add the remaining rice. Pour ghee on the corners of the rice. Now make 3 holes from the top of the rice till it touches the bottom of the cooker. Pour 1tablespoon of saffron milk and lime juice in each hole.
• Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 5minutes in high flame. When the pressure starts coming out put the whistle of the cooker. Now simmer the stove and cook for 10 to 15minutes in low flame. Turn off the stove and keep the cooker aside for 20minutes. Do not open till that time.
• Carefully mix the rice from the bottom of the pan. 
• Sprinkle few fried onions on top of it and serve hot with Raita and Cucumber Onion Salad