3large tomatoes cut into 4 slicesor 1 cup of canned tomatoes
7 to 8green chilies
1cupmint leaves
7 to 8dried plumsaloo bukhara (OR dried apricots)
4medium onions slicedor 1 1/2 cup brown fried onions
1chicken bouillon cubeoptional
1tbspsalt
1tspred chili powder
1tbspkashmiri red chili powder
2tspcumin powder
1½tspcoriander powder
1/2tspturmeric powder
1tspgaram masala powder
2tbspkewra water
1cupyogurt
3/4cupoil
1/2tspmace and nutmeg powderoptional (jayfil javetri)
1cupwater
For the Rice
3/4kglong grain basmati rice soaked in water for 20 mins
3 to 4bay leaves
whole spices: 10 black peppercorns5 cloves, 3 black cardamom, 5 green cardamom, 1 stick of cinnamon.
1tbspvinegar
3tbspsalt
Garnish
1/4cupmilk mixed with orange food color.
1tomato cut in slices
4green chilies
3/4cupcoriander leaves chopped
3/4cupmint leaves chopped
1/2cupbrown fried onions removed from qormaor 1/2 cup pre-made brown fried onions
maze
nutmeg
Instructions
Chicken Qorma
Blend the green chilies with the yogurt to form a smooth paste and set aside.
Add oil in a pot along with sliced onion and mint leaves. Fry them at medium flame till the onions turn golden brown. Reduce the flame to low and remove roughly about 1/2 cup of brown onions for garnish.
Add 1/4th cup of water in the onions to stop frying. Add all the spices (except nutmeg and mace powder) and tomatoes. Saute for a minute and add 3/4th cup of water and cover the pot to allow the tomatoes soften up for 5 mins.
Use a hand blender to blend the tomatoes and onions together.
Now add the chicken, garlic ginger paste, dried plums, chicken cube and the yogurt chili mix. Mix everything well.
Cover the pot and let the qorma simmer for 15 to 20 mins at medium to low flame.
Remove the lid and check if the chicken is cooked. Turn off flame and add kewra water and mace nutmeg powder and simply mix.
You can also remove extra oil at this point if your want
Rice
In a large pot, boil water for the rice at high flame. Add all whole spices, vinegar, salt and bay leaves.
Once the water starts bubbling, add in the pre-soaked basmati rice.
Boil the rice for 5 mins and check a grain of rice. You should be able to break the grain of rice with fingers but the grain should still be hard and in-edible. That's the perfect rice for Biryani layering.
Strain the rice in a large strainer and set aside for layer.
Assembling
Use a large pot for assembling the rice. Usually this is the pot used to boil the rice.
Add 1/3 of the rice to layer the bottom of the pot.
Garnish the rice with mint, chopped coriander, slices of tomatoes, 1 green chili. Sprinkle a little maze nutmeg powder.
Add 1/2 of the chicken qorma on the rice spreading it out as evenly as possible.
Add another 1/3 of the rice on top of qorma
Repeat same garnish.
Layer with the remaining chicken qorma
Finish off with the remaining rice.
Drizzle the rice with milk and color mix in the form of a cross.
Garnish the top layer as well, this time including fried onions as well.
Cover the pot with foil and then add the lid to make a strong seal.
Place an insulator below the pot on the stove, like an old pan, a tawa or a a flat griddle pan.
Turn on the flame at high for 5 to 6 mins, then reduce to medium low for another 10 mins.
Remove the lid and open the foil slightly to check if you can see steam (be careful to not burn yourself. If you can see steam, that means your biryani is done. Cover the foil again and place the lid back on. Let the biryani rest for another 10 mins before serving.
If you don't see steam, increase the flame for 2 to 3 mins.
Serve with raita and salad.
Notes
If you don't want to use home made biryani masala, you can also use half a packet of Shan bombay biryani masala and half a packet of shan sindhi biryani masala,