Arabic Biryani -Chicken Maqlooba

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken with bones
• 1 kg Basmati rice
• 2 medium sized Potatoes
• 2 medium sized Carrots
• 1 Capsicum
• 2 medium sized Tomatoes
• 1 medium sized Eggplant or Brinjal
• 2 big sized Onion thinly sliced
• 2 medium sized Onion cbopped
• 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon black Peppercorns
• 1 inch long 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 2 black Cardamoms
• 1 small piece of Nutmeg (Jaifal)
• 1 small piece of Mace (Javitri)
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 tablespoon Olive oil+ more to fry chicken & veggies
• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• 1 teaspoon Soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon Paprika/ Kashmiri red chilli powder
• to taste Salt

Steps

1. Cut and clean chicken in big pieces.(Skin on)
2. Clean and soak rice for an hour.
3. Clean and slice all vegetables in thin round slices.
4. Heat a pan and dry roast together coriander seeds, cumin powder, black cardamom, black pepper corns, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and mace.
5. Grind them together in a grinder to make powder.
6. Heat 1&1/2 tablespoon of oil in a big saucepan.
7. Splatter cinnamon sticks, cloves and some black pepper corns.
8. Add 2 chopped onions and fry until light golden brown.
9. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
10. Add the chicken pieces and fry for 5-6 minutes.
11. Add salt and spice powder prepared before.
12. Saute for few seconds and then add 1 litre of hot water.
13. When stock starts boiling, cover and cook in medium heat until chicken cooks completely.
14. Heat a non stick pan and little olive oil and fry the sliced vegetables in batches.
15. Keep the fried veggies in a big dish.
16. When chicken cooks completely remove from stock carefully with a tong and place in a dish.
17. Now add the soaked and drained rice to the stock. Add hot water if necessary to cook the rice.
18. Cook the rice till done in medium low heat.
19. Rub the cooked chicken pieces with soya sauce and paprika or kashmiri red chilli powder.
20. Pan fry the chicken pieces with little oil. Keep.aside.
21. When rice cooks completely, take out half of the rice in a bowl.
22. Put half of the chicken and vegetable pieces over the rice.
23. Now arrange half of the rice(which kept int he bowl) over the chicken and vegetables and add 1 tablespoon of ghee.
24. Now again make the second layer of veggies and chicken.
25. Lastly arrange the remaining rice over the chicken-veggies layer and 1 tablespoon of ghee.
26. Cover and cook in low heat for about 15 minutes.
27. At the time of serving stir carefully and lightly with a flat spoon.
28. Serve hot with a bowl of yoghurt or raita.