Hyderabadi Biryani

Ingredients:

3 pounds Chicken (cut into medium-sized pieces)

1 cup plain yogurt

6 cups basmati rice

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1/2 teaspoon Ginger Paste

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Paste

Fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)

Fresh mint leaves (small bunch)

4 green chillies (finely chopped)

6 whole black peppercorns

6 cardamom pods

2 medium onions (thinly sliced)

2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon yellow food color

1/4 teaspoon orange food color

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1) Wash chicken with cold water and drain well.

2) In a separate bowl, mix ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder, and plain yogurt together into a smooth paste. Marinate chicken in the mixture and set aside for 30 minutes.

3) In a separate pan, heat the vegetable oil, add onions and fry to golden brown. Add mint leaves, cardamom pods, and lemon juice. Mix and remove from heat.

4) Boil rice in a large pot with water until rice is parboiled and drain.

5) Cook the chicken mixture for about 15 minutes until tender.

6) Grease the same pot, add half of the rice to it and then layer the chicken mixture on top, and then finally add the remaining rice on top of the chicken mixture.

7) Add both food color mixtures on rice.

8) Place pot on a hot griddle and let cook on a low flame for about 15 minutes. Finally remove from heat; fluff rice and serve.