Chicken & Prawn Breyani

3 cups Maharani basmati rice boiled for 20 – 25 minutes and set aside (salt to taste). Dissolve ½ tsp egg yellow powder in 125ml water and mix into the rice. ½ cup masoor dhall boiled for 25 – 30 minutes and set aside (salt to taste) chopped coriander

½ sliced onion, braised with 2 cinnamon sticks, in 2tbs ghee (or butter) and set aside

Ingredients for chicken marinade :

1½ kg chicken fillets, cut into cubes

500ml full cream maas

1½ tsp jeera powder (cumin) 2½ tsp fine salt

3 tsp ground ginger and garlic

Ingredients to cook chicken :

100ml oil

200ml butter ghee

1 large sliced onion

3 star aniseed

3 sticks of cinnamon

3 whole cloves

3 black elachi (alcha) (cardamom)

10ml roasted jeera seeds (cumin) 2 large green chillies

1 stem curry leaf

3 tbs Kashmiri hot masala

3 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder

Ingredients to fry prawns :

1 – 1½kg large prawns (deshelled and deveined)

¼ cup oil

½ sliced onion

1 tbs Kashmiri hot masala

1 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)

½ tsp salt

Marinate chicken with the marinating ingredients overnight or for at least 3 – 4 hours before cooking. Heat oil and ghee in a thick-based pot, add whole spices and sliced onions, and allow to fry until onions turn golden brown. Add chilli powder, masala, marinated chicken, curry leaf, chillies and stir. Cook on medium heat on the stove for 45 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook prawns as follows – heat ¼ cup oil, add mustard and methi seeds, add sliced onion and fry until golden brown. Add chilli powder and masala, allow masalas to roast for a few seconds, then add prawns and salt. Simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes until done. Combine cooked chicken and prawns into one pot (with all the oil) for flavours to mix.

In a large based pot, layer one third of the rice, then layer half of the chicken and prawn mixture, sprinkle some of the masoor dhall, sprinkle chopped dhania, layer another third of the rice, and complete layering with the remaining chicken and prawn mix, remaining masoor dhall, more chopped dhania and top with the last third of the rice.

Top with prepared fried onions. Decorate as desired. Cover the pot tightly with foil before placing the lid on. Cook in oven on 180°C for 30 minutes.