COURTESY OF MIRIAM VALLY – AUTHOR OF THE PRIDE OF INDIAN COOKING

1. 2 large onions –fried crispy and crushed
2. 2 large tomato – liquidized
3. ½ carton sour milk – 1 ½ cups
4. ½ cup oil or ghee
5. 2 cups rice – boiled half done with 1 dessertspoon rough salt and spices i.e., cinnamon, elachi cloves etc…
6. ½ cup masoor preboiled
7. 1 ½ cups frozen peas
8. 3 eggs boiled optional
9. 3 medium potatoes – sliced in 6 and fried

USE THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS TO MAKE MASALA MIXTURE

1. Spices – a few elachi, cinnamon, cloves peppercorns
2. 1 ½ heaped dessertspoons red ginger garlic masala
3. 1 02 dessertspoons red course dry chilies for a stronger flavor
4. 2 level dessertspoons fine dhania powder
5. 2 level dessertspoons whole jeero
6. 2 level dessertspoons rough salt or as required
7. 1 tsp arad
8. 1 tsp egg yellow – mix a little water
9. 3 dessertspoons saffron water – a few strands saffron boiled
10. 4 whole green chillies
11. ½ bunch green dhania chopped
12. 2 level dessertspoons butter. Ghee or oil
13. Juice of 1 lemon
14. 1 chicken disjointed

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a dish and mix well.
• Add masala paste/mixture to chicken and rub well. It can be marinated overnight or for a few hours before cooking biryani
• Add crushed onions, tomatoe and sour milk. Add ½ cup oil or melted ghee to the pot.
• Sprinkle 1 cup rice over oil and a handful of masoor and peas over rice.
• Add chicken pieces with mixture spread evenly.
• Add masoor and peas over the chicken. Lay eggs out and potatoes.
• Cover with remaining rice. Sprinkle rice with a little cold water.
• Add ½ cup cold water and steam.
• Serve with sour milk.