Kolkata/Calcutta Style Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

For the rice 

• 1-1/2 cup of long grained basmati rice

• 2 tbs of ghee

• 2 bay leaves

• 7-8 cloves

• 2 cardamom

• 4-5 cloves

• Salt to taste

For the chicken marination

• 2 tbsp Curd
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 tbsp of Biryani masala (I used Suhana Biryani masala)
• 1-1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
  

For the gravy and layering

• 2 tbsp of Ghe
• 4 sliced onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 2 cardamom1 inch cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 2 potato chopped into big cubes
• 2 boiled eggs
• 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp of Kewda water (optional)
• 2 tsp of rose water (optional)
• 2 tbsp of hot milk
• Few strands of kesar
• 1 tbsp of ghee

Method

• Wash and drain the rice and keep it aside

• Boil sufficient water in a pot and add all the dry spices , salt and ghee to the water and then add the rice to it .

• Once the rice is around 80% done strain the rice and spread in on a plate

• Marinade the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marination and keep it aside for 30 mins to an hour

• In a heavy bottomed kadhi , add ghee and all the dry spices and fry for 2-3 minutes till you get a nice aroma from the spices

• Add the sliced onions and fry them till they turn golden brown by adding a little salt

• Once the onions gets slight golden brown, add big chunks of potatoes and fry them as well with the onions

• When the onions turn nice golden brown remove 1/4th of the onions and keep it aside to use while layering the Biryani

• Fry the boiled eggs for about 2-3 minutes and keep them aside

• Add the marinated chicken and mix everything well and close the pan with a lid and cook it for about 15 minutes on medium flame

• Once the chicken gets cooked remove the gravy off the flame now, it’s time to layer the Biryani

• In some hot milk add saffron strands and keep it asideSpread the rice all over the chicken gravy, then add ghee, kewda water,rose water, brown onions and the saffron milk

• Close the pan with a tight lid and keep it on low flame for about 10 mins

• Serve the hot Biryani with any side of your choice