Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice (preferably Basmati)
• 500 g (1 lb) chicken
• 6 tbsp oil
• 300 ml (10 oz) yoghurt
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1½ cm ginger, peeled and sliced
• 5 large onions, chopped
• ½ cup tomatoes, puréed
• 2 chiles, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 5–6 strands saffron
• 8 cloves
• 10 cm (4 inches) cinnamon stick
• 5 black pepper corns
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Cook soaked and washed rice.
2. Marinate the chicken in lemon juice, yoghurt, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, cloves, chillis, chopped tomatoes, and tomato purée.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add onions, and cook until onions turn golden brown. Add these to the chicken.
4. Grease a heavy-bottomed deep and wide mouthed pan. Add a layer of rice. Put in the chicken mixture, top with the rest of the rice, and put the saffron on top.
5. Bake in the oven for 1–1½ hours at 150°C (300°F); cut into a piece of chicken to see if it is cooked.
6. Serve the biryani with yoghurt on the side.