Nawabi Biryani

Ingredients

Quantity	Measure	Ingredients	Description
1	Kilogram	Chicken	skinned, cut into serving pieces
2	Teacup	Curds
3	Tablespoon	Ginger Garlic Paste
A	Little	Salt
1	Teacup	Ghee
1/2	Teaspoon	Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
1/2	Teaspoon	Shahi Jeera (Caraway seed)
8	Nos.	Cloves (Lavang)	crushed
1	Stalks	Cinnamon (Dalchini)	broken
5	Nos.	Cardamoms (Elaichi)	peeled, and seeds crushed
10	Nos.	Pepper Corns	crushed
1/2	Teacup	Almonds (Badam)	blanched, halved
1	Teaspoon	Turmeric Powder	Add to kadai
1	Teaspoon	Garam-Masala	Add to kadai
2	Teaspoon	Chilly Powder, Red	Add to kadai
1/2	Teacup	Water	Add to kadai
8	Sprigs/Twigs	Mint Leaves (Pudina)	pluck leaves and chop. Add to kadai
1	Teacup	Coriander Leaves (Kothmeer)	clean leaves and chop, add to kadai.
1, 1/2	Teacup	Rice, fine grain.	soaked in water for 1/2 hour, washed
1/4	Teacup	Ghee	To fry rice in pressure cooker
	As Required	Water	to cook rice.
	As Required	Salt	to taste
1/4	Teacup	Ghee	To fry sliced onion
4	Medium	Onions	Sliced thin, and fried crisp.
1/2	Teaspoon	Saffron (Kesar_	For garnish

Method

Make a mixture of ginger-garlic paste, salt and yoghurt. Apply the same to the chicken pieces and leave for 1 hour to marinate.

Heat 1/2 cup ghee and add cumin seeds and shahjeera, cloves, cardamoms, peppercorn and almonds and stir fry then add marinated chicken pieces with turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala powder, and 1/2 cup water.

Cook till chicken is tender. Add     coriander and mint leaves. Keep aside.

Preparation of Rice:
Heat 1/4 cup ghee in a pressure cooker and add rice. Fry till golden brown. Add 3 cups water and salt ro taste and pressure cook till the rice is done but not soft.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup ghee in a pan and fry onion slices till brown and crisp. Drain and keep aside.

In a large cooking vessel put a layer of rice. Top it with a few fried onion slices and saffron strands and spread a layer of chicken pieces on it.     Repeat till all rice and chicken pieces are over.

Cover tightly and finish cooking in an oven or by placing the     pan on a hot griddle till each grain of rice is fluffy and the biryani is aromatic.

Serve hot.