FEAST FOR FEST

Chef Rakesh Chabolu and executive chef Jitendra Nakhwa cherry- pick a couple of yummy Hyderabadi recipes that are an ideal spread for the holy month of Ramazan where one can fast and feast with equal fervour HYDERABADI CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS

To marinate chicken: Chicken cut into large pieces — 1 ½ kg

Ginger garlic paste — 2 tbsp Red chilli powder — 2 tbsp Turmeric powder — 1 tsp Salt — as per taste Coriander leaves — 1 bunch Mint leaves — 1 bunch Green chillies — 7 - 8 nos Caraway seeds — 1 tsp Cloves — 3 - 4 nos Cinnamon sticks — 2 nos Cardamoms — 3 - 4 nos Black pepper corns — 3 - 4 nos

Fried golden brown onions — 2 cups

Yogurt — 2 cups

Oil — 1 tbsp

Lemon juice — 1 tbsp Garam masala powder — 1 tsp

To cook rice:

Water — to boil Basmati rice — 1 kg Cloves — 2- 3 nos Cinnamon stick — 1 nos Cardamoms — 2- 3 nos Caraway seeds — 1 tsp Black pepper corns — 2- 3 nos Lemon juice — 1 tbsp

Salt — to taste

For dum seasoning:

Oil — 2 tbsp Coriander leaves — 2 tbsp Mint leaves — 2 tbsp Fried onions — 2 tbsp Lemon juice — 1 tbsp Saffron flavored milk — 1 cup Ghee — 1 tbsp

Water — 1 cup

To garnish:

Fried onions

PREPARATION

To marinate chicken: Wash the chicken pieces well with lemon juice and water and drain the chicken completely. Add ginger garlic paste to it. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.

In a blender add a bunch of coriander leaves, a bunch of mint leaves, green chillies, add a pinch of salt and make the paste called as green paste or hara masala paste.

Add the green paste to the chicken marinade.

Add whole garam masala that is cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper corns, caraway seeds.

Mix the whole mixture well. Crush the onions and add into the marinade.

Add beaten yogurt and mix well.

Add oil over the marinade and mix well.

Add garam masala powder and lemon juice and mix well.

Check the taste of salt and add if required.

Refrigerate this marinade for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To cook the rice: Firstly, wash the basmati rice and soak it for about 35 minutes.

Take a cooking pot, add water generously into it.

Into the water, add salt as per taste, cinnamon stick, cloves, shahi zeera, black pepper corns, cardamoms.

Bring the water to a boil. When the water starts boiling, add the soaked rice into it.

Cook the rice for about 6 - 7 minutes until it is three fourth done.

Drain the rice completely and rest.

For Dum:

In a cooking pot, coat the base with oil.

Add the marinated chicken into it and spread it evenly.

Add the rice which has been cooked into it.

Spread the rice evenly all over the marinade.

Season the rice with coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions.

Add lemon juice all over the rice.

Add saffron flavored milk( 2 saffron strands added into the ¼ th cup of milk to get orange red color).

Add ghee into it.

Add little water all over the rice( optional).

Make a chapathi dough and seal the lid and the cooking pot tightly with the dough.

Switch on the flame, put the cooking pot onto the flame.

Dum the biryani on sim flame for about 45 minutes.

Procedure to take the biryani out:

Take the biryani out with a spatula from one corner side and when taken out, the spoon has to go deep down and should come out with the rice and chicken.

Serve the lip smacking biryani on a serving plate.

Garnish the Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani with fried onions.

Also it can be garnished with coriander and mint leaves.

And also serve it with lemon slices and raw onion rings.