KUNDAN BIRIANI
Ingredients:
For the rice:
basmati rice – 500 gm
turmeric – 1/4 tsp
salt – to taste
few threads of saffron soaked in 1/4 cup of milk
bay leaves – 4
onion sliced – 1
powdered garam masala – 1 tsp
curd – 1/3 cup
For the chicken:
chicken – 750 gm
cut in regular pieces
onions, ground? – 4
garlic paste – 1 tsp
ginger paste – 1 tbsp
1 tsp roughly powdered garam masala
curd – 1/2 cup
tomatoes, chopped – 2
salt – to taste
ghee – 1/3 cup
For the garnishing:
almonds – 25
cashewnuts – 20
sultanas – 20
silver leaf as needed
hardboiled eggs, sliced – 4
For the makhani gravy:
onions, finely chopped – 2
butter – 50 gm
blanched, peeled, deseeded and chopped tomatoes – 500 gm
salt – to taste
kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tbsp
ginger juliennes coriander leaves, silver leaf for garnishing.
Method:
?Rice: Soak the rice for half an hour. Boil in water in which turmeric and salt are added. Strain, when 3/4 done. Sprinkle the saffron over the strained rice. Keep aside.
?Chicken: Cook all the ingredients together till three fourths done in very little water. Dry away excess liquid, if any. Add the ghee and fry the chicken well.
?Garnishing: Boil the almonds for 2 minutes. Peel. Let dry for 10 minutes. Break the almonds and cashewnuts in halves. Wrap these alongwith the sultanas in silver leaf. Reserve. (You may dry these in the sun and keep in an air tight container for days. Use to garnish any sweet or savoury dish).
?The Finale: Take a heavy bottomed degchi. Heat the ghee in it and season with the bay leaves. Fry the onions till golden. Spread the rice over it and sprinkle the garam masala.
?Top with the chicken pieces and dot with the unbeaten curd. Place the nuts on it. Seal the pan with the atta dough and put on dum. Keep a heavy tawa underneath, cook over a low heat for 30 minutes. Serve with the gravy.
?Gravy: Heat the butter in a skillet and add the onions and fry till golden. Add all the ingredients except ginger and coriander leave. Cook over a moderate heat till the tomatoes are soft. Keep stirring and pressing with a ladle so that the tomatoes are mixed. Add a little hot water, if needed. This should be a thick gravy.
?Garnish with leaf, ginger julienne and coriander leaves.
