In spite of being a food blogger, at times I get of bored of cooking, by that time we use to order food and when it comes for lunch we would prefer Biryani, in that I call up a neighborhood Andhra Style restaurant “Plantain Leaf” for biryani. Usually we go for Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani, but this time when I heard of Andhra Style Biryani, we ordered both to spot out the difference between those. I loved the Andhra Style Biryani and as a foodie I could smell the ingredients used in that Biryani and thought of trying out. Finally tried out for my Diwali Lunch, it was awesome.

Now would say a one another delicious, yummilicious biryani entering my Biryani Collections. Let us move on to the recipe…

Do check out my Diwali Collections in this link: https://madraasi.com/2015/11/13/diwali-deepavali-2015/

Chicken Briyani – Andhra Style

Ingredients:

• Chicken – ½ kg
• Onions – 2 nos (medium size)
• Long grain / Basmathi Rice – 2 ½ cups (¼ kg) (I have used Jeera rice)
• Curd / Yogurt – ½ cup (2 ½ tbsp)
• Cloves – 5 nos
• Cardamom – 3 nos
• Cinnamon – 2 nos (2”inch stick)
• Bay leaf – 3 nos
• Star Anise – 4 nos
• Coriander leaves – two fistful;
• Mint leaves – two fistful
• Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tbsp
• Green chilies – 5 nos
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 tsp
• Pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 2 tbsp.

With spices and onions

With ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and green leaves

With coriander powder (thickening)

With chicken pieces

Getting cooked

With yogurt/curd

With pepper powder

With rice

Getting cooked

Chicken Briyani – Andhra Style

Preparation:

• Clean and chop the chicken to large pieces. Keep it aside.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and keep it aside.
• Wash and finely chop the mint and coriander leaves, keep it aside.
• Slit the green chilies into two equal halves and keep it aside.
• Heat oil and ghee/clarified butter in a pressure cooker, add in the spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise) and cook until they start turning dark in color.
• Add in the onions along with ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Cook until the onion turns golden brown.
• Add in the chopped mint and coriander leaves, cook until they turn dark green in color.
• Add in the coriander powder until raw smell goes off and pour in 1/2 cup of water, let it boil and thicken.
• Add in the chicken pieces followed by turmeric powder and little salt. Cook for few mins or until the chicken turns pale white in color.
• Pour in the curd/yogurt followed by pepper powder and cook for few mins or until it gets blends well with the chicken.
• Clean the rice, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Pour in a cup of water and cook until the chicken is half-cooked.
• Add in the rice along with 4 ½ cups of water, allow it to boil.
• Pour in 2 tsps of lemon juice, give a stir, cover with the lid and wait for 2 whistles.
• Remove the lid when the pressure subsides, give a stir and serve hot.

Serve hot with raita (onion-tomato raita). I have served it with onion-tomato raita, chicken fry and chicken salna.

Note: I have used jeera/jeeraga samba rice, but basmathi or long grain perfectly matches this biryani.