MALAI TIKKA BIRYANI

Malai tikka biryani is mildly spicy and flavourful dish. This delicious recipe is prepared by marinating chicken with spicy mix of yogurt and spices then cooked along with the rice.

INGREDIENTS:-

3/4 kg chicken

Marinade:-
1 cup curd
3/4 cup cream
1 cup Fried onions (2 medium onions)
8-10 green chillies (grind to paste)
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
Handful of coriander and mint leaves (grind to paste)
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp pepper powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp chili flakes
1/4 cup cashew (grind to paste)
salt

For rice:-
2.5 cups rice
1 tbsp kewra water
1 tbsp rose water
3 green cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 peppercorns
3-4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seed
1/2 lemon juice
ghee
salt
fried onion, cashews and raisins for garnish

METHOD:-

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Cover and leave the marinate in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Wash basmati rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.
3. Soak saffron in warm milk and keep aside.
4. In a deep vessel, boil 7-8 glasses of water with salt, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seed, pepper corns and lemon juice.
5. Drain the washed rice and add to the boiling water, cook until the rice is 75% is done (about 6-7 minutes), drain and keep aside.
6. Then in a large pot, add a layer of marinated chicken and add layer of rice.
7. Sprinkle fried onions, cashews, raisins, herbs and add dissolved saffron in milk, then add ghee, rose water, kewra water and put the lid on which is lined with sticky dough for dum.
8. First cook it on high flame for 5 minutes then reduce the flame to low, use a griddle under and cook for 30 minutes and switch off the flame.
9. After 10 minutes its ready to serve.