Muradabadi Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 750g chicken
• 15 green chillies
• 3 tbsp green chilli pickle
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 black cardamom
• 4 green cardamom
• 6 cloves
• 1 piece of mace
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp heaped cumin seeds
• 1 tsp heaped coriander powder
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 150g yogurt
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup onion oil
• 2 medium onions, browned
• 1200 ml hot water
• 600g basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• lemon slices
• salt to taste
• yellow food colour
• 1 tbsp kewra water
• 4 tbsp ghee
• fennel and coriander powder
• handful of brown onions
• coriander leaves, for garnish

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Method

1. Crush the green chillies coarsely by hand or in a grinder.
2. Mix the chicken with the crushed chillies, chilli pickle, whole spices, ground spices, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, and salt, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat the onion oil in a pan with the browned onions, add the marinated chicken, mix well, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender.
4. Add the boiling water, soaked rice, lemon slices, and salt, cover, and cook on high flame until the water has evaporated.
5. Top with food colour, fennel and coriander powder, ghee, kewra water, and brown onions.
6. Cover and cook on dum on low flame for 6-7 minutes.
7. Let the pan rest for 10 minutes before opening and mixing, then serve hot with red chutney.