Usha Aunty was my neighbor in San Diego. She loved to cook. She loved to cook for others. She was the one who taught us ( a bunch of friends ), how to make biryani for 50 people in an 80 sq.ft tiny kitchen. We must have cooked tonnes of biryani in her kitchen. She rocks. Her enthusiasm is infectious. She physically pushes herself every single time for that extra mile to show that nothing is impossible. Good food meant happy people. We all used to follow behind her to the kitchen like children following their mama wherever they go. We have had countless number of parties and countless number of this amazing biryani. Her husband Pandurangan Uncle is an equally adorable man. I have seen him say ” குடு மா அந்த தேங்காய நான் ஒடச்சி தர்றேன் ” – “give me the coconut ma, i will break it for you “, and he would take the coconut to the balcony to break it for her. He would come to the kitchen frequently to see if Usha aunty needs any help. She has that little Madras slang that I soooooo love. She used to be there for everyone when they needed something. She is the true living proof that age is just a number and she just does not care about that. She is my true inspiration. She is not here now with me but I have really really fond memories that revolve around food and behind this biryani. After all food is nothing but memories. My son calls her as poori paati as paati not only makes the tastiest biryani but poori too. I have learnt a lot of dishes from her. This one takes the crown.
Here is the recipe for an amazing Madras Style Chicken Biryani.
Soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes. I used 2.5 cups of rice today. For every cup of rice, use 1.5 cups of water. So I used 3 3/4 cups of water. You can cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker. If cooking in a pressure cooker, then cook in medium flame and switch off the flame after 2 whistles. Immediately release the pressure and cool it on a plate. You need to cool the rice immediately else it might become mushy. If cooking in a rice cooker, remove the rice once its done onto a plate and allow it to cool completely. Once cool, mix some ghee into the rice to thoroughly coat. Set aside. Usha aunty sprinkles ghee on rice before putting it in dum, but I feel mixing ghee at this stage helps spreading the ghee evenly all over the rice.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks. Add in the sliced onions and fry till soft.
In the mean time make a paste of ginger and garlic. Add a little water while grinding if necessary.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and the ginger garlic paste, fry till the tomatoes are soft. It will take about 4-5 minutes in medium flame. Add in the coriander powder, chilli powder, green chillies, curd and salt. Fry for a minute to combine. Add in the chicken pieces and allow it to cook. Do not add any water. The juices from the chicken will be enough to cook the meat.
Cook the chicken until tender and the gravy has thickened. Keep stirring to avoid scorching at the bottom. Once the gravy has thickened, add in the lemon juice and switch off the flame. Keep stirring to avoid scorching at the bottom.
Now its time for layering the biryani. Approximately divide the chicken gravy and rice into 3 equal parts.
# Take a big bowl and add a layer of chicken gravy at the bottom.
# Add in a layer of rice. If you dint add ghee to the rice before, spoon a tablespoon of ghee onto the rice now.
# The Chennai Biryani has that little streaks of orange color on the rice that comes from artificial coloring. Its optional. If you want to use it, spoon a little of the coloring mixed with water on the rice. I use edible food coloring used for cake decorating ( like Wilton, Americolor etc..).
# Finally, Sprinkle some chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves.
Repeat the layering process, until all the rice and gravy has been used. Tightly cover it with an aluminium foil and close it with a lid. Now its ready for dum. Traditionally, dum is done using charcoal. But that’s not feasible at home. The substitute for dum cooking at home is to use an oven. Place the biryani bowl in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes. If you don’t have an oven, heat a dosa pan on the stove and put the biriyani bowl on top of the dosa pan and allow it to cook on low flame for 15 minutes.
Once the dum cooking is over, open the lid and gently fluff up the rice to mix. Serve hot with raita.
- 2.5 cups (625 ml) basmati rice
- 3¾ cups water
- ¼ cup ghee
- 1 kg chicken with bone
- 4 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 stick cinnamon
- 5 cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 5 medium onion, sliced
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 pod garlic
- 3 inch piece ginger
- 5 green chillies, slit
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- Juice of a small lemon
- 15-20 mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 6-7 sprigs coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
- orange food color (optional)
- Soak basmati rice in water for 15 minutes. You can cook the rice in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker. If cooking in a pressure cooker, then cook in medium flame and switch off the flame after 2 whistles. Immediately release the pressure and cool it on a plate. Once cool, mix some ghee into the rice to thoroughly coat. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks. Add in the sliced onions and fry till soft.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and the ginger garlic paste, fry till the tomatoes are soft. Add in the coriander powder, chilli powder, green chillies, curd and salt. Fry for a minute to combine. Add in the chicken pieces and allow it to cook. Do not add any water.
- Cook the chicken until tender and the gravy has thickened. Once the gravy has thickened, add in the lemon juice and switch off the flame.
- Layer the biriyani. Take a big bowl and add a layer of chicken gravy at the bottom.. Add in a layer of rice. Finally, Sprinkle some chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Repeat the layering process, until all the rice and gravy has been used. Tightly cover it with an aluminium foil and close it with a lid. Place the biryani bowl in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.