Kerala chicken dum biryani

1. Home made biryani masala powder( makes around 1/4 cup powder )

2. Cinnamon-2 medium pieces,cloves-10,cardamom-6,fennel seeds-1/4 cup,whole pepper corns-1 tspn,mace-3 meduim piece ,Star anise-1 small,nutmeg-1 small piece,shah jeera-1/2 tspn
Dry roast these ingredients.Then grind to a fine powder.

3. For rice

4. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mints.
Boil water in a deep pan.Add ghee,whole masala,coriander and curry leaves,lemon juice and salt to it.Let it boil.Then add rice to it and let it cook.Switch off the flame when rice is 3/4th cooked.Drain water and keep aside.

5. For masala

6. Cut chicken pieces to medium sized pieces.

7. Crush together ginger,garlic,green chilli,coriander leaves and curry leaves.Marinate the chicken pieces with this crushed paste.Add 2 tblpsn curd ,1 tblspn lemon juice,red chilli powder,coriander powder,tumeric powder and salt also to the chicken pieces.Mix well till the chicken pieces are well coated with the masala.Keep aside for 30 mints (or more )

8. Now fry the onion till they are golden brown and keep aside.In the same oil,add chopped tomato.Add let them cook well.Now add the marinated chicken pieces.Sprinkle
homemade biryani masala powder.Add enough salt also.Mix everything well.Cover and cook in low flame.After 5 mints add 3/4 th of the fried onion to the chicken,mix well,see if water needs to be added to the chicken.If so add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.Cook till the gravy becomes thick and chicken is 3/4 th cooked.Finally add 1 tspn ghee.Mix well.Remove from fire.

9. Layering

10. In an oven proof tray,spread one layer of chicken masala.Then spread cooked rice on top of it.Spread some fried onion.Repeat the same with all the masala, rice and fried onion.Top layer should be rice.Mix a pinch of turmeric powder with 2 tblspn warm milk and sprinkle on top of the biryani.Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 mints at 350 F/180 C. Garnish with remaining fried onion and serve with raita.

Notes:If you are using stove top method, layer the biryani in a heavy bottomed pan and cover it with a tight lid.Heat a thava and when it is hot place the biryani vessel on the top.Keep the flame at lowest and cook for 20-25 mints.At the same time, place a pan of boiling water on top of the biryani vessel.