Malabar Chicken Briyani is one of long time to try recipe, finally decided to try it out on Christmas 2015 for our lunch. I have accompanied Malabar Chicken Briyani with Spicy Chicken Fry and Onion-Tomato Raita. Stay Tuned for Spicy Chicken Fry recipe.

I would say one more briyani getting loaded to my Biryani Collections, the difference I found here is the flavor of Fennel and poppy seeds compared to other biryani. Have a try and now let us move on to the recipe…

Malabar Chicken Briyani

Ingredients:

• Chicken – ½ kg
• Long grain (Basmathi) Rice – ¼ kg or 2 cups
• Onions – 4 nos
• Tomato – 1 no
• Coriander leaves – 10 stalks
• Mint leaves – 10 stalks
• Green chilies – 3 nos
• Gin-gar paste – 2 ½ tbsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp
• Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
• Yogurt/Curd – 3 tbsp
• Cloves – 5 nos
• Cinnamon – 1” inch stick, 2 nos
• Star Anise – 3 nos
• Bay leaf – 3 nos
• Cardamom – 4 nos
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 3 tsp
• Cashew nuts – 10 to 15 nos
• Raisins – 10 nos
• Salt to taste
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 3 tbsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp.

Chicken about to marinate

Chicken getting marinated

With spices and onions

With rice

Rice getting cooked

Gravy getting ready

Rice getting drained

Gravy getting done with chicken

Fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins

Gravy is ready

Layered

Briyani is ready – After Dum

Getting mixed

Malabar Chicken Briyani

Preparation:

• Clean and chop the chicken into medium pieces.
• Wash the rice, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Grind fennel seeds and poppy seeds to a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Peel and chop 2 onions into small pieces and another thinly slice the other 2 onions. Chop the tomatoes to small pieces. Clean and chop the coriander, mint and curry leaves to small pieces. Keep all these aside.
• For marination: Take the chicken in a bowl, add in ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ the quantity of chopped mint, coriander and full amount of curry leaves, 1 ½ tbsp of fennel and poppy seeds powder, 3 tsp of coriander powder, 1 ½ tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and salt. Mix all these together.
• Add in yogurt/curd along with the chicken and mix it well. Marinate the chicken for almost 30 mins.
• For rice: In a non-stick kadai, add in a tbsp of ghee/clarified butter and oil, add in 2 nos of cloves, 2 nos star anise, 2 nos cardamom, a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick.
• Add in a tbsp. of ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Add in half the quantity of finely chopped onions until they turn golden brown.
• Add in the rice and cook for 2 mins, pour in 4 to 5 cups of water, sprinkle required amount of salt, cover and cook. Drain the rice when its ¾ th cooked. Keep it aside.
• For garnishing: Heat ½ tbsp. of ghee/clarified butter in a non-stick kadai, fry the thinly sliced onions to dark brown in colour. Remove the onion slices and keep it aside.
• Add in the cashew nuts and fry until golden brown, drain the oil and keep it aside.
• Add in the raisins and fry until it doubles in size, drain the oil and keep it aside.
• For gravy: Add in the leftover spices (cloves, cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf and cardamom) wait for a min.
• Add in the leftover finely chopped onions, along with the leftover ginger-garlic paste and cook until the onions turn golden brown.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
• Add in the marinated chicken mixture and cook until the chicken is half done.
• Pour in 1 to 2 cups of water, cover and cook until the chicken is done completely and the oil floats on the top of the gravy.
• For Layering: Take a heavy bottomed kadai, add in the boiled rice and spread them like a bed, then pour in half of the gravy along with few chicken pieces, again add in the boiled rice and spread it over the gravy like a bed, then pour in the leftover gravy along with the chicken pieces, then spread the rice, cover the gravy. Sprinkle the fried onions (brown onions), cashew nuts, raisins, little of the coriander and mint leaves. Sprinkle half cup of water over the garnish, cover with the lid and keep a weight over the lid (be sure the air should not escape out)
• Keep in medium flame for 20 mins and then in low flame for 10 mins.
• Open the lid and give a stir to get the layers mixed well with the rice.

Serve hot for lunch. I have accompanied Malabar Chicken Biryani with Spicy Chicken Fry and Onion-Tomato Raita.