Chicken Biriyani with Onion Raitha

Ingredients for Biriyani:
Long grain rice (Basmati Rice) - 3 cups
Chicken pieces - 1/4 kg
Onion - 3-4 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Yoghurt - 1/4 cup
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cashewnuts - 10
Garlic - 8-10 cloves
Ginger - 1.5 inch long
Mint leaves - handful
Coriander leaves - few
Green chillies - 3
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - a stick
Cloves - 4-5
Nutmeg - a pinch
Star anise - 2
Bay leaves - 1
Saffron - a pinch
Milk - 2 tablespoons
Ghee - 4 tablespoons
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak saffron in milk and keep aside.

Grind garlic, ginger, green chillies to a fine paste, without water.

Wash chicken pieces and strain all water. Marinate it with yoghurt, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, mix it well and keep it aside for an hour.

Slice onions and tomatoes.

Heat Ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or pressure cooker. Fry cashew nuts until they are golden brown and keep the cashew nuts aside. To the ghee, add oil. Once it is hot, add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, fennel seeds and fry for 1/2 minute. Add ginger, garlic, chilli paste and fry until the raw smell goes off. Add onions and fry until they are soft. Add tomatoes and fry for 1 minute. Add marinated chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes. Wash rice and strain water. Add to the chicken and fry for 3 mintues. Add 4-5 cups of water, salt, mint leaves, fried cashew nuts, mix them carefully and close the lid, cook for 15-20 minutes until the water drains completely. Lower the flame, add saffron milk to one portion of rice. close the lid and cook for 10 minutes in a very low flame.

If pressure cooker is used, wait for 2 whistles and put off the flame. Add saffron milk to one portion of rice. close the lid and cook for 10 minutes in a very low flame.

Mix the rice, garnish with chopped corinader leaves and serve hot with raitha.

Ingredients for Onion Raitha:
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Onions - 1-2 finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 chopped (optional)
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Cumin seed powder - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
To avoid raw smell of onions, sprinkle salt on chopped onions and keep aside for 15-20 minutes, then drain the water formed, or it can be cooked in microwave for a minute, or sauted in a pan for 5 minutes. Add other ingredients and serve.