Easy Chicken Briyani

This is a you-can-never-go-wrong easy chicken briyani. It is one pot wonder for me and best to entertain the company or for weekend special with family. Served with Raita or chicken curry.

The traditional recipe does not ask for bell peppers, but I add them to include vegetables in our daily meal. I also maintain colors to different briyanis based on the meat, chicken is orangish color. so I use saffron or bit of red food color.

I go with a thumb rule of 4 thai chillis for 1/2 cup rice. This gives a 7/10 spicy. so increase or decrease the chillis based on your palate. 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp kasuri methi (optional)

1 bay leaf

1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1.5 tbsp yogurt

6-12 thai chilli

4-5 cloves, 1 anistar, 1 chip cinnamon, 2-3 cardamon (if you are missing 1 or 2 here, you are still fine)

2 shallots

1 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper and/or 1/2 green bell pepper (optional)

5-6 chicken thighs skinless (boned or boneless)

1 tomato

1.5 cup rice

3 cups  water

salt to taste

saffron (optional)

Nuts & raisins (optional)

Preparation

1. clean the chicken, drain, dice if boneless, add salt, ginger garlic paste & yogurt. Set aside

2. in a food processor chop the thai chilli, shallots & (4-5 cloves, 1 anistar, 1 chip cinnamon, 2-3 cardamon). keep aside

3. In a pot or pressure cooker add the butter & oil, kasuri methi, bay leaves, nuts, raisins followed by onions & bell pepper strips. Then add the processed thai chilli mixture . when the mixture is translucent add the chicken mixture. 

4. The mixture leaves out water from the yogurt & chicken. heat and wait for the water to evaporate & the oil to separate. Now add water, tomato, saffron allow to boil. 

5. If using a rice cooker, this is when you transfer the mix to the rice cooker. And add rice to the boiling water. If you are using an American pressure cooker, wait for 3 minutes after the steam is build. If you are using an Indian pressure cooker, 1 whistle is more than enough.

6. when done, add chopped coriander leaves to garnish & lemon juice to finish it.