Chicken biryani with raita

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 750 gChicken curry cut, washed and drained
• 150 gCurd, for the marinade
• 1 ½ tbspGinger-garlic paste
• 1 ½ tspRed chilli powder
• 3 mlTurmeric
• 1 tbspBiryani masala
• to tasteSalt
• 15 gMint, leaves picked
• 15 gCoriander leaves, chopped
• 3Green chillies, slit
• 1Lemon (nimbu), juiced
• 3Onions, thinly sliced
• 5 tbspRefined oil
• 400 gRice, basmati
• 2Bay leaves
• 2 gCinnamon, a 5 cm piece of stick
• 4Cloves
• 1 gCardamom, 4 green pods
• 1 tspCumin, seeds (or shahi jeera)
• 1 mlSaffron
• 3 tbspMilk, warm
• 2 tbspGhee

On the side

• 400 gCurd, for the raita
• ½Cucumber, grated
• 3 mlCumin, roasted and ground

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the curd, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric, biryani masala, salt, half the mint and coriander leaves, the green chillies and the lemon juice.
2. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
3. Gently wash the rice in three changes of water and leave it to soak in fresh water for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan and fry the onions on medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Lift about half of them out onto a plate, leaving the rest and the oil in the pan.
5. Soak the saffron in the warm milk.
6. For the raita, whisk the curd with a little salt and stir in the cucumber and roasted cumin powder. Keep it in the fridge.
7. Add the chicken and all its marinade to the onions in the pan. Cook covered on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is almost cooked and the masala is thick.
8. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil with plenty of salt, the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cumin. Drain the rice, add it and boil for 5–6 minutes, until about 70% cooked: the grains break between your fingers but still have a firm core. Drain.
9. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Scatter over the fried onions from the plate and the rest of the mint and coriander, and drizzle over the saffron milk and ghee.
10. Cover tightly (seal the lid with foil or a strip of dough) and leave the biryani on dum over the lowest heat, with a tawa under the pan, for 20 minutes.
11. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Mix gently from the side with a flat spoon so the layers show, and serve with the raita.

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