Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani

    Chicken Biryani Kolkata Style

Cooking Time: 2.5 - 3 hours                                                                                  Serves: 15 (approx)

The word 'biryani' is derived from a Persian word, birian, which means fried before cooking. According to Pratibha Karan, who wrote the book Biryani, the biryani is of South Indian origin,derived from pilaf varieties brought to the Indian subcontinent by the Arab traders. She speculates that the pulao was an army dish in medieval India.The armies, unable to cook elaborate meals, would prepare a one-pot dish where they cooked rice with whichever meat was available. However many believes that the dish originated in Persia, and was brought to India by the Mughals. According to historian Lizzie Collingham, the modern biryani developed in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of India and the Persian pilaf.

Calcutta or Kolkata biryani evolved from the Lucknow style, when Awadh's last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled in 1856 to the Kolkata suburb of Metiabruz. Shah brought his personal chef with him. The poorer households of Kolkata, which could not afford meat, used potatoes instead, which went on to become a specialty of the Calcutta biryani. The Calcutta biryani primarily uses meat and potatoes and is much lighter on spices. The marinade uses primarily nutmeg, cinnamon, mace along with cloves and cardamom in the dahi-based marinade for the meat which is cooked separately from rice. This combination of spices gives it a distinct flavour compared to other styles of biryani. The rice is flavoured with kewra water or rose water along with saffron to give it flavour and a light yellowish colour.

INGREDIENTS: 

1. Long grain Basmati rice (1.5 kg)
2. Potato (1 kg preferably Chandramukhi variety)
3. Chicken (2.5 kg) 
4. Whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) 
5. Lemon juice (2 tbsp)
6. Onion(2 large)
7. Ginger (2 inch)
8. Garlic (20 cloves)
9. Beresta (deep fried chopped onion- 1 cup)
10. Curd (1 cup)
11. Milk (1.5 cup)
12. Salt
13. Turmeric powder
14. Chili powder
15. Biriyani masala
16. Kewra water
17. Meetha aatar
18. Yellow/orange food colour (optional)
19. Saffron 
20. Mustard Oil
21. Ghee 
22. Dough made with flour and water

METHOD:

Step 1: Soaking the rice

1. Wash and soak long grain basmati rice in water for minimum 1 hour. 

Step 2: Preparation of the potato

1. Peel and dice potatoes into large chunks. If the potatoes are medium sized peel and keep them as it is.
2. In a pan add 1/4th cup of mustard oil.
3. To the hot oil add all the potatoes. Add salt (approx-1.5 tbsp), turmeric powder (1 tsp), chili powder (1 tsp), orange food color (a pinch).
4. Fry till the potatoes turn golden.
5. Add 1.5 cup of water and cook on medium flame until 80% cooked i.e, insert a knife  in the middle of the potato, it should be slight hard in the center.
6. Potatoes are ready. There will be a liquid-oil emulsion in the pan. Don't throw it. 

Step 2: Preparation of the Chicken

1. Grind onion and ginger to a smooth paste.
2. Crush the garlic cloves.
3. In a heavy bottom handi (degchi/kadhai- in which you will put the biryani on dum), add 1/3rd cup of mustard oil and 2 tbsp ghee. 
4. To the hot oil and ghee add whole garam masala - 3 cinnamon sticks, 5 cardamom pods, 5-6 cloves.
5. When the aroma of the spices come add crushed garlic and onion-ginger paste.
6. Fry till oil separates.
7. Lower the flame and add 1 cup of beaten curd. Saute for a minute.
8. Add the chicken pieces.
9. To that add salt as per taste, chili powder (1.5 tbsp) and biryani masala (1 tbsp).
10. Saute on high flame for 5 mins only.The chicken will release water.
11.  After 5 mins switch off the gas. 

Step 3: Preparation of the 2 Milk Mixture

1. To 1 cup of milk add 1 tbsp of biryani masala,3 tbsp off kewra water and 5-6 drops of meetha aatar. 
2. Take 1/2 cup of milk in another bowl and to that either add few strands of saffron (kesar) or 1 pinch of orange/yellow food colour.

Step 4: Preparation of the Rice

1. In a large pan boil water. 
2. To the boiling water add whole garam masala - 4 cinnamon sticks, 4 cardamom pods, 5-6 cloves. Also add 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Add salt (approx- 4tbsp).
3. To this add the soaked rice and cook until 75-80% cooked i.e, the center of the rice should be little hard when squashed between two finger tips. 
4. Don't strain the rice. 

Step 5: Layering the Biryani

1. Use the vessel in which you have cooked the chicken to layer the biryani.
2. The 1st layer will be the sauted chicken.
3. On top of it add the cooked potatoes with the liquid.
4. The 3rd layer will be beresta. Sprinkle half of the beresta. 
5. On top of the chicken, potato and beresta carefully strain the rice from the pot and add directly. Donot strain the rice before. Prepare the layering upto 3rd layer before cooking the rice. Once the rice is 80% done strain it and add directly on the prepared layering of chicken and potato. 
6. On top of the rice layer, sprinkle the two milk mixtures.
7. Add the remaining beresta.
8. At last add about 1/3rd cup of ghee on top of the rice. 
9. Seal the mouth of the vessel with the dough made earlier and close the lid tighly so that no steam can escape while cooking.

Step 6: Cooking the Biryani

1. Place the biryani vessel directly over the flame of the gas. 
2. Cook on high flame for 10 mins and then lower the gas and cook for another 25-30 mins. 

Step 7: Checking whether the Biryani is cooked or not

1. Carefully open the lid of the vessel. 
2. To check whether its cooked, insert the back of a long spoon and touch the bottom of the pan. 
3. There shouldn't be any liquid left. And your Biryani is ready. Serve hot Chicken Biryani with chaap/curry and raita. 

NOTE:

1. Potato is one the chief attraction of the Kolkata style biryani. Make sure you use a good quality potato preferably Chandramukhi variety. 
2. Don't discard the liquid left after cooking potato.
3. Make sure you saute the chicken with the spices for 4-5 mins only. If the chicken is cooked for a long time during sauteing, later the chicken will become hard and stringy. Cooking the chicken on dum for 40 mins will ensure juicy,soft chicken all the time. 
4. Cooking rice is the most important step of cooking good biryani. Keep an eye all throughout while the rice is cooking. Don't cook it more than 80% else after keeping in dum you will have soggy rice which will not be fluffy. Add 2tbsp of lemon juice while cooking the rice. This ensures rice becomes fluffy and white. 
5. Use a good quality heavy bottom pan to cook your biryani. 
6. All the liquids from chicken, potato leftover, two milk mixture will ensure the biryani won't stick to the bottom of the pan. So don't worry. Add the pan on direct heat.
7. If you have any doubts refer to our YouTube Video for this recipe pinned at the top of the page.
8. For more such mouth watering and sumptuous recipes please visit our YouTube Channel "Let's Cook"
   
   Follow us on:
1. YouTube
2. Facebook
3. Blogger
4. Instagram
5. Pinterest
6. Twitter