One Pot Muradabadi Style Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 750 grams Chicken pieces
• 3 cups rice
• For the Marinade:
• 2.5 Cups Curd
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 6-7 Green Chillies, Ground to a paste
• 2 Whole Green Chillies, Slit from the centre (optional)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds / Saunf Powder
• 4-5 Green Cardamoms
• 5-6 Cloves
• 8-10 Peppercorns
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 2 Mace Petals
• 1/2 tsp grated / powdered Nutmeg
• 2 Phool Chakra / Star Anise / Dagad Phool
• For the Masala:
• 3-4 Onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder (optional)
• 3-4 Green Chillies, slit from the centre
• 10-12 Saffron / Kesar Strands
• 1/4 Cup Warm Milk
• Hot water, as required
• 1-2 tsp Ghee / Clarified Butter
• Salt to taste
• A few drops of Kewra Essence – (optional)
• A few drops of Organge / Yellow Food Colour (optional)

Steps

1. Wash the chicken well, add it to a large mixing bowl or parat, add all the ingredients for the marinade, mix well. No need to add salt. Cover & Set aside for 2-3 hours. You may also keep it for 30 mins if you are short of time.
2. Wash & Soak the rice in water. Set aside
3. Heat oil in a large Kadhai / Cooking Pan. Add the sliced onions, saute.
4. You can add a little salt while frying the onions, they brown & turn crisp quickly.
5. Add the saffron strands to the warm milk, set aside to soak.
6. Set aside 2 tbsp fried onions for garnishing later.
7. To the rest of the onions, add the slit green chillies, saute for 2 mins.
8. Add the marinated chicken, mix in gently.
9. You can a little red chilli powder, this is entirely optional, it also gives the biryani a darker colour than the usual lighter Muradabadi Biryani version. Mix well
10. Cover & cook on high heat for 2-3 mins, checking once in between.
11. Now add salt, cover & cook on low-medium heat until tender. Keep stirring, in between.
12. Once the chicken turn dry & is cooked, add the drained rice, mix well for a minute.(Reserve the water used to soak the rice in)
13. Heat the drained water + 2 cups water. Add it to the rice-chicken masala mix.
14. Mix well & bring to a boil.
15. Cover & cook with a plate, (add just a little water on the plate) until done, takes under 10 minutes to cook.
16. Once done, add the soaked saffron milk and the reserved fried onions. Cover again & cook on dum for 2 mins. PS: You can add a few drops of food colour & Kewra essence at this point, I didn't add it yesterday.
17. Biryani is done!
18. Serve hot with raita, chutney and onions