Making Everyone’s Favourite, Chicken Biryani (Aunty Lallie’s Method)

Cooking almost everyone’s favourite, chicken biryani. Because chicken is soft and to avoid break ups, this recipe calls for cooking the rice and chicken separately before combining to make the biryani.

This recipe feeds 6-8 people

For rice:
2 cups long grained rice
2 tbsp rough salt
1 tsp hurdee
Bay leaves
1/2 tsp egg yellow food colouring

For biryani
2 kg chicken
Marinate with:
1 tsp chicken masala
1/2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sour milk
Squeeze of lemon juice
Braise in:
1/2 cup oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic
Thyme
Biryani spice mix (cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, Star Anise, bay leaves)
Curry leaves
1 cup biryani dhal (lentils) soaked overnight
1 curry spoon of mixed masala
1 tsp hurdee
1 tsp chillie powder
1/4 tsp egg yellow food colouring
1 tsp dhania/coriander powder
1 tsp ground biryani mix
1 tsp garam masala
3 medium potatoes fried
1 cup frozen peas

To garnish
1 large onion, caramelised
Handful of dhania
A few mint leaves