Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken Biryani

This is a no fuss recipe for Chicken Biryani that I have been using very often for a while now. Planning a non-vegetarian menu is so much more easier than planning an elaborate vegetarian meal because you dont need to bother making a variety of dishes when it comes to non-veg menus. If there is a tasty chicken biryani pot on the table, everything else is forgotten and so I wish I had gotten into the habit of cooking chicken/fish based dishes earlier, it would have made my life much easier :).

As long you have some mint leaves in your hand and remember to marinate the chicken well in advance, this can be made in less than 30 minutes. Chicken biryani served with some pappad and simple onion raitha can make weekend lunches very special.

Ingredients

Adapted from  - Solai

Serves - 4
Spice Level - Moderate
Prep Time - 30 min
Cook time - 20 min

Chicken - 1/2 kg, cut into medium sized pieces
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Coconut milk - half a cup if canned, if fresh use 1 cup
Onion - 2 , chopped finely
Tomato - 2, chopped finely
Salt - as per need
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mint Leaves - 2 handful
Green chillies - 2, slit
Plain red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp

For seasoning

Bay leaf - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch pieces, 2 no.
Cardamom - 3
Cloves - 3
Star Anise - 2

To grind to a paste

ginger -3 small pieces
garlic-10 pods
fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
small onions - 10
green chili- 6
Cinnamon- one inch piece
Mint leaves - 2 handful
cloves-3

For Marination

Lemon juice - of half a lemon
Curd - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder -1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tsp
Pepper powder - 2 Tsp
Cumin powder - 2 Tsp
Half of the above ground paste


How do you do it

1. Grind the paste with ingredients under " To grind to as paste" with little water and keep aside. Wash and soak basmati Rice in enough water for 30 minutes

2. Wash the chicken well and marinate the chicken with the listed ingredients under "For marination" for 2 hours at-least.

3. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the the kadai. Saute the rice for 2 minutes until it gives out a nice aroma. Keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the items under "To season" one by one and let them roast. Add onions, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and saute well until the onions are cooked well.

5. Add the tomatoes and turmeric now and half the quantity of salt, mix well. Let the tomatoes get cooked well - 4 minutes. Now add the red chilli powder and remaining half of the ground paste [step 1 paste] and saute well for about 5-7 minutes.

6. Add the chicken pieces and mint leaves now and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Mix coconut milk and water to get 3 cups in total to add the pressure cooker. If you are using canned coconut milk, use half cup of that and remaining 2.5 cups of water. If using fresh coconut milk, use 1 cup of that and 2 cups of water. Now add this to the pressure cooker. Add the required salt and rice now and mix well.

8. Close the cooker with the lid and Pressure cook for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes switch off flame and let the pressure release naturally. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and cashews.

Serve this delicious chicken biryani with raitha and pappad.