Awadhi Chicken Biryani:

Aromatic flavored rice cooked with meat and exotic spices makes Biryani. No one can resist eating cooked Biryani, for its exotic aroma. In my house, we love any type of biryani. The cooking style of biryani and its ingredients are changed depending on regional food habits and religion. Goat(mutton), lamb, chicken, beef, egg, paneer, and vegetables also used to make Biryani. Today I am going to share the recipe of Awadi Chicken  Biryani, the cuisine of Royal chefs of India. I used boneless chicken pieces, with bone normal chicken pieces can be used.

Awadi cuisine is a cuisine native to the city of Lucknow, which is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. The Awadh region has been greatly influenced by Mughlai cooking techniques. In biryani, rice is boiled or parboiled separately in spiced water and then layered with meat, then sealed and cooked over low heat until done. 

Course- Main dish/Rice
Cuisine- Mughlai
Author - Usashi Mandal
Serves - 4

Preparation time - 20 minutes

Cooking time - 1 hour and 30 minutes

Some other similar recipes:
Kolkata style goat meat Biryani
Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
Chicken Kofta Pulao
Shrimp Biryani
Chicken Tikka Biryani
Rui macher Pulao

Ingredients:-

2 cup basmati rice

2 cup small boneless chicken pieces

3 tbsp yogurt

1 tbsp green chilies paste

2 tsp white pepper powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp shahi jeera 

2 tbsp garlic ginger paste

1 onion(thinly sliced)

1/2 cup fried onion or beresta

1 tbsp whole garam masala
(cinnamon, clove, cardamom)
2 bay leaves
1 dried red chili

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 tsp kewra water

1 tsp mace &nutmeg powder

2 whole star anise

1 pinch of  yellow color/saffron

2 tbsp milk
Ghee or butter as needed
Salt for seasoning

Method:-

1. In a bowl add boneless chicken pieces, green chili paste, yogurt, salt, and ginger garlic paste. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, shahi jeera, and white pepper powder.  Add 1 tbsp of ghee. It will make chicken pieces to be juicy. Mix well and marinate for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in the frying pan, add sliced onion and fry until golden brown. This is called beressta. Drain in a paper towel and keep aside.

2. Soak washed rice for 1 hour. Heat 4 to 5 cups of water in a large pan.  Add 1/2 tbsp of whole garam masala and salt to it. When it starts bubbling add the drained rice. Cook until rice is 90% cooked. Drain the hot water and transfer rice to a shallow tray and spread it out.

4. Take a large dutch pan preferably a wide mouth pan. Heat 5 to 6 tbsp of ghee or butter, add whole star anise, bay leaves, dried red chili, and 1/2 tbsp of whole garam masala. 

5. When a nice aroma fills up your kitchen with roasted garam masala add sliced onions, Saute until light brown then add marinated chicken pieces. Mix well and cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes.

6. Mix warm milk with saffron or yellow color.

7. Now over the chicken spread the layer of cooked rice. Then spread fried onions over the rice, sprinkle garam masala powder, saffron or yellow-colored milk, and kewra water. Spread another layer of rice. Add 1 tbsp of ghee or butter over the last layer of rice. Close the lid tightly, if the lid is not tight first cover it with an aluminum foil then close the lid.

8. Put the dutch pan on a very low flame for 30 minutes. Then shake the dutch pan to mix rice and chicken well. You can use ladle but very gently otherwise the rice will break.

9. Open the lid before serving and feel the magic of biryani. The exotic flavor, aroma, and nice cooked chicken with rice. It's a delicacy. Serve it with raita( yogurt mix with onion, cucumber, and spices).

Happy Cooking:)

Reference:- Wikipedia