Sunday Biryani

बिर्याणी

• Time 1 hr 30 min
• Serves 4-5
• Made with Satva Biryani Masala

Whole spices bloomed in ghee first, the blend layered in with the rice, then sealed and left alone. The long one — worth starting before lunch.

Ingredients

• 750 gchicken, bone-in, in large pieces
• ¾ cupthick yogurt
• 2½ tbspBiryani Masala
• 1½ tbspginger-garlic paste
• ½ tspTurmeric
• 1 tspChilli Powder
• 1lemon
• 2 tspsalt, plus more for the rice water
• 2 cupsbasmati rice
• 3onions, thinly sliced and fried golden
• 4 tbspghee
• 2 + 4 + 4bay leaves, green cardamom, cloves
• 1 inchcinnamon
• ½ cup eachmint and coriander leaves
• a pinchsaffron, in 3 tbsp warm milk

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, 2 tbsp of the biryani masala, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli, lemon juice, salt, half the fried onions and half the mint. At least an hour; overnight in the fridge is better.
2. Rinse the rice and soak it for 30 minutes.
3. Boil a large pot of well-salted water with half the whole spices. Add the drained rice and cook until about 70% done, 5-6 minutes. Drain.
4. In a heavy pot, warm 2 tbsp ghee with the rest of the whole spices for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and marinade and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
5. Spread the rice over the chicken. Sprinkle the last ½ tbsp of masala, the rest of the onions, mint and coriander, the saffron milk and the remaining ghee.
6. Seal the lid with foil or dough. Cook 3 minutes on high, then 30 minutes on the lowest heat, ideally on a tawa under the pot.
7. Leave it sealed for 10 minutes off the heat. Open it at the table.

Order Satva Biryani Masala on WhatsApp