Chicken Tandoori Biryani/Tandoori Chicken Biryani.

This was one of the few things I prepared for Easter ...I had tasted this biryani for a small party at my cousins house I loved the taste and thought of trying it at home .This is really one of the best biryani i have prepared I was happy that it came out very well and tasted better than the one we had in cousin's house.

Now this has become a family favourite and we keep making this very often .It goes well with Boondi raita or onion tomato raita .I had also prepared mutton in almond gravy and whole roasted lemon chicken along with this.It was indeed a scrumptious treat.

Ingredients:

For the rice

1/2 kg basmati rice

2 bay leaves

2 black cardamom

1 tsp shahijeera/black cumin

4-5 green cardamom
1 inch cinnamon stick
4-5 peppercorns

1 javitiri/mace

For the Chicken tandoori

1/2 kg chicken 

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1/4 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup curds

salt

For the Gravy

3 medium  tomatoes chopped

3 onions sliced 

chopped coriander

chopped mint leaves
3-4 green chillies chopped

1/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
salt

oil 1.5 tbsp

Other ingredients

Cashews

raisins
almonds

fried onions 1 cup
few strands of saffron
1/4 cup milk
ghee 1 tbsp

Method:

• Soak basmati rice in water for about an hour then drain water .

• In a vessel add enough water to cook the rice .

• Put all the spices under rice add little salt and cook the rice till 3/4th done.

• Drain the excess water and keep the rice ready.
• Marinate the chicken for 1-2 hrs minimum and cook on a tava with 1 tsp oil or bake it in the oven at 200 degree Celsius for 15 min or till done  .
• Reserve the excess marinade for the gravy
• Heat oil in a pan add the chopped onion and saute till it turns golden brown 
• Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy
• Then add the chopped green chillies and saute
• Add the powdered masalas and the beaten curds
• Add about 1/2 cup water and the excess marinade and  cook for 6-8 mins.
• You can add the chicken pieces in the gravy and cook for 5 min till the gravy has been coated well on the chicken .I did not add the chicken to the gravy.

Assemble the biryani

• In a thick bottomed vessel add 1 tbsp melted ghee and spread the rice layer over.

• Put the gravy and the chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves and arrange the tandoori chicken over the gravy.

• Crush the fried onions and sprinkle some nuts.  

• Repeat with the remaining layer of rice and Sprinkle the remaining fried onions and nuts over.

• Lastly pour the saffron infused milk.

• Cover with the lid and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 min.

• Serve hot with tandoori chicken and raita.

• 

Note
to give the chicken smoke flavour I have placed a piece of burning coal in a silver foil in the centre of the cooked tandoori chicken and poured few drops of oil over and immediately closed the lid for 5 min discard the coal and the foil.