Shumaila's 10-Step Cheat Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

This is my favourite Biryani- the taste of Pakistani weddings and parties- an amazing blend of chicken, mint, yoghurt and spices layered with rice. Today, I think I got it just right after several attempts. I don't claim it to be authentic, original or any such thing. But it's absolutely delicious if you get it right.

So here goes...

Ingredients

For Chicken:

Bone-in Chicken 500 gm

Biryani Masala (Use any brand and any type such as Shan Bombay Biryani, National Sindhi Biryani etc.) 3 tbsp or more if you like it hotter

Mint 1/2 bunch or 1 if small

Onion 1 medium, thinly sliced

Ginger 3 tbsp, crushed

Garlic 3 tbsp, crushed

Potatoes 3 Medium, cut in chunks

Natural Yoghurt 1/2 cup

Lemon Juice 1 tbsp

Oil 6 tbsp

For rice:

Basmati Rice 400g

Cloves 2

Bay Leaf 1

Cinnamon stick 1

Lemon Juice 1 tbsp

Mint 2 tbsp

For assembly:

Onion 1 Medium, thinly sliced

Mint 1/2 bunch, roughly chopped

Coriander 1/2 bunch, roughly chopped

Green chillies 2 (optional), whole, pricked

Tomato 1, sliced

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Method

1- Marinate the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger, garlic and biryani masala. Leave it for a few hours. Overnight is best.

2- Wash and soak the rice in plenty of normal water.

3- Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry half the onions until light golden. Add the marinated chicken, potatoes, half the mint, salt if needed and fry until oil comes on top and a nice aroma arises.

4- Add a splash of water, cover the pan and lower the heat. Cook until chicken and potatoes are almost tender and there is just a little bit of gravy, most of it coating the chicken.

5- Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil and fry the onion (from assembly ingredients) in a separate pan until golden brown. Spread out on kitchen towel. Pour the hot oil on the cooked chicken.

6- Drain the rice. Fill a large, heavy-based pot with at least 4 litres of water. Add all the ingredients along with the rice and bring to a boil. Simmer until rice is 3/4 cooked. Drain.

7- It's time to assemble everything now. In the same pot, spread half the rice. Pour over the chicken. Sprinkle the mint and coriander over it and arrange the tomato slices on top. Cover it with the rest of the rice. Sprinkle the fried onions and lemon juice on top.

8- Cover the rice with aluminium foil and then the lid. Place on high heat until steam starts to escape from under the lid. Lower the heat right down and cook for another 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

9- Mix rice and chicken with a fork.

10- Enjoy!!!