Biriyani is a set of rice-based food made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables.  The name is derived from the Persian word berya(n) which means “fried” or “roasted”. Biriyani originated in Iran.

The difference between Biriyani and pilau is that, pilau is made by cooking the items together and with biriyani, the rice is cooked separately from the rich sauce curry of  meat or vegetables.   The curry and the rice is then layered, resulting in a dish of contrasting flavours of flavored rice and rich flavoured sauce of meat or vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1                 chicken skinned and cut up in ten pieces
• 3                 medium onions
• 1                 cup yoghurt
• 1/2              tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2              tsp black pepper
• 6                 cardamom pods
• 10               cloves
• 1                 2” piece cinnamon stick
• 2                 tsp green masala
• 1/2              tsp chili powder
• 1                 tbsp tomato paste
• 2                 tsp salt
• 1/2              tsp saffron
• 3                 med potatoes
• 1                 tsp garam masala

Rice

• 2                 cups oil for frying
• 2                 cups rice
• 2                 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Remove all the fat from the chicken and rinse it in cold water.
2. Peel the onions and slice it very thin.  Add half an onion to the chicken.
3. In a large saucepan put the chicken, yoghurt, cumin seeds, black pepper,  cardamom, cloves,  cinnamon stick, green masala, chili powder, tomato paste and salt and mix everything together.  Cook this on medium-high heat till the sauce has thickened  and the chicken is almost cooked  about 15 minutes.
4. Heat  the oil in a frying pan.  Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters and deep fry them.  Deep fry the onions till they are crispy and golden brown.  Drain on paper towel.
5. Rinse the rice in cold water.  Bring the water to a boil, add the salt and boil it for 10 minutes.   The rice should not be cooked completely.  Drain the rice and run it through cold water  (to stop the rice from cooking more)
6. Add saffron to 1/2  cup of hot water.
7. Arrange the fried potatoes on the chicken, spread the fried onions and sprinkle the garam masala.  Layer  the rice on the chicken, sprinkle the saffron water and 1/4 cup of oil(use the oil from the frying pan).
8. Cover and bake it in a preheated oven for 1/2 hour, or till the rice is fluffy and cooked through.  You should also get a nice aroma when you open the saucepan.
9. To serve, spread the rice in a platter and put the chicken on top.

Serve with kutchumber and carrot pickle.