BIRYANI COOKING VESSEL RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
• When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
• Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
• In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

Steps:

• Squeeze the ingredients for the Chicken Masala hard and mix well.
• Rub the Chicken hard with the Masala and keep it overnight or at least for 3 hours in the fridge.
• Wash the Basmati Rice and soak for an hour.
• Boil water and all Masala ingredients and then boil well.
• Then add soaked Basmati Rice and cook to 60% on a high flame.
• Take out 100 ml from the boiling water and mix it with the marinated Chicken. Wipe away the Spices from the edges of the vessel.
• Strain the 60% cooked Rice and spread it in two layers on the Chicken. Then add the 70% cooked Rice on another layer and then finally add the 80 % cooked Rice in a uniform layer.
• Spread all the Dum materials on the Rice. Add the Ghee, Oil, Saffron Milk to the whole Biryani. Pour the boiling water along the edges of the vessel.
• Stick the Maida paste along the edges and fix the cover tight. Make a small hole somewhere and cook on high flame until steam comes out of that hole.
• While the steam is coming out fast, reduce fire and cook on all four sides of the vessel, two minutes on each side on low flame. Cook in the center for another two minutes. Switch off the stove and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• In 30 minutes Dum, the Chicken cooks well and the Rice becomes fluffy. After 30 minutes, mix from the bottom and serve with cool Raita.