5large Onions (makes around 2 cups of fried onions)Thinly sliced and separate the onions strands by rubbing with your hands.
Oil for deep frying the onions
For the Biryani Rice
500gramsBasmati RIce (arnd 4 cups)washed and soaked for 30 minutes. After 30 mins drain the water and keep it aside
2Bay leaves
1tspShahi jeera
1Black cardamom
3-4Green Cardamom
4-5Cloves
1inchCinnamon
1/2tspNutmeg powder
1floret Mace
1Star anise
1tspGhee
2tspsSalt
Small muslin cloth
Other Ingredients
1/2cupCoriander leaves
1/2cup Mint leaves
Saffron (Generous pinch)
3tbspMilk
1/2cupGhee
1tspKewra water (optional)
Instructions
First Marination
Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, lime juice, shahi jeera, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, bay leaves, biryani masala, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, salt and 2 tbsp of oil or ghee.
Now marinate the chicken for at least 1- 2 hours.
Prepare the Birista (Crispy fried onions)
Heat enough oil in deep frying pan to medium heat to deep fry the thinly sliced onions. Now add the onions and fry them on a steady heat stirring occasionally.
Once the onions starts turning golden stir frequently or else it will burn from the bottom.When the onions turn lovely golden brown in colour drain and place it on a kitchen towel. Keep it aside and let it rest for some time. It makes around 2 to 2 1/2 cus of fried onions.
Second Marination
After 1 hour, add yogurt, mint leaves, coriander leaves and 1 cup of crispy fried onions.
Mix it well with the chicken and keep it aside. Meanwhile we get the other things sorted.
Prepare the Biryani rice
In a muslin cloth add cinnamon, green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and mace. Tie a tight knot into a potli.
Heat a large pot of water, add the spice bag along with shahi jeera, salt and a tsp of ghee and bring it to a boil. Do a taste test, the water needs to be slightly salty. boil for 4-5 minutes to release the aroma of the spices.
Now add the rice and bring it to a boil cook the rice till it is half done.
Drain the water and discard the bay leaves and spice bag. Spread it on a large plate and keep it aside as we start wit the assembly.
Saffron milk
Soak the saffron in warm milk and keep it aside.
Assembling the Hyderabadi Kacchi Biryani (2 ways Oven version and Stove version)
For the Oven version: Preheat the oven to 175° C. Grease 1 tbsp of ghee in a large oven proof casserole.
Now add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Then top it up with 1/2 cup crispy fried onions, 1/4 cup chopped mint, 1/4th cup chopped coriander leaves and half the saffron milk.
Now add it up with the flavoured half boiled basmati rice. Top it up with the rest of the crispy fried onions, rest of the coriander leaves, mint leaves, saffron milk and ghee.
Then cover with aluminium foil (with 2 or 3 layers of foil) and tightly close the lid and cook it in the oven for 45 minutes.
For the stovetop version: follow the same procedure only in a large metal pot with lid. Finally seal the lid with dough. Place the large metal pot on a wide pan and cook it on the lowest heat for 30-40 minutes. Switch off the flame and keep it rested for 10 to 15 minutes.