HOT AND SPICY BIRYANI

Courtesy of Khatija Mayet, Australia

400 g Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice 400 g masoor 1½ teaspoons turmeric 2 teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons whole cumin 2 cinnamon sticks 3 elachi pods ½ teaspoon elachi powder 4 green chillies, slit 2 tablespoons lemon juice 250 ml yoghurt 60 ml concentrated, boiled tomato 2 tablespoons ginger garlic 1 chicken, washed and cut into pieces 1 tablespoon dhania powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1 teaspoon coarse dry chillies 1 teaspoon ground red chillies Masala to taste 4 tablespoons ghee 5 tablespoons oil 5 potatoes, fried till half done 2 handfuls fried onions/wagaar ½ teaspoon saffron threads, dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water ½ teaspoon saffron essence (optional) 2 boiled eggs (optional) Boil rice with a pinch of salt untill al dente, drain. Boil the masoor with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt till soft. Mix the cumin, cinnamon sticks, elachi pods, elachi powder, green chillies, lemon juice, joghurt, tomato, ginger and garlic to make the masala mix. Marinate the chicken in this mixture. Heat the ghee and oil in a pot. Add a handful each of masoor and rice to the bottom of pot. Place the chicken pieces (bone side up) on top of the rice and masoor. Do not add the masala with the chicken pieces. Layer the potatoes over the chicken. Add the masala to the remaining masoor and mix well so all the masoor is coated with the masala. Add the masoor over the potatoes. Lastly add the rice over the masoor. Put a few blobs ghee over the rice and a few drops of saffron water. Cover the top of the rice with foil. Cook on the stove for 45 minutes over medium heat until you can see the steam rising and the ghee from the top has melted. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and dish out the rice and masoor/chicken separately. Serve with spiced yoghurt and cucumber raita, salad and papar.