Always wanted to know how to make biryani at home? Well, it’s no rocket science. All you need is to get the spices right and you’ve got yourself mouthwatering biryani. Cooking Goddess caught up with interior designer, Mahua Khanna who is a whiz at cooking. Though an interior designer and artist by profession, Mahua loves to experiment with food and flavours during her spare time. She shares a recipe for delicious Lucknowi Chicken Biryani with Cooking Goddess. 

“For the Lucknowi Chicken Biryani, we need to make two different kinds of masalas. The masalas lend distinct flavor to the chicken and the rice. More so, it is important to get all the preparations done in advance, that will make the entire process of preparing the biryani easier,” says Mahua.

Masala 1:

All whole garam masalas:
3-4 cardamom (elaichi)
7-8 black pepper (kali mirch)
11/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2-3 cloves (laung)
½ inch – cinnamon (dalchini)
1 – big onion thinly sliced
2 – kashmiri red chilies
2 tbsp – cooking oil

Method for Masala 1:

Sauté all these spices in hot oil, till they turn brown. A word of caution from Mahua, “Never prepare this masala on a slow flame. Make sure you prepare this masala on a medium to high flame, as this will enhance the color of the masala.” (The masala will turn brown in color. )

Masala 2:

2 medium sized onions
1 – inch ginger
6-7 garlic cloves
2 green chilies
10 gms fresh coriander leaves
3-4 cashews
3-4 almonds

Method for Masala 2:

Make a paste of all these ingredients in a mixer grinder. “While frying, the masala will tend to stick to the vessel, let it stick, but keep mixing the masalas and add little water from time to time,” says Mahua.

For the Layering of the Biryani:

Dry fruits – almonds and cashew (or as per your choice)
Fried onion rings
2-3 tbsp – milk
½ a lemon juice
Food color mixed with milk

For the Garnishing:

1 bowl onion rings
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tsp milk
Mix all these with the onion rings and set aside

Method for Preparing the Garnishing:

Ensure you sauté the onion rings in hot oil to make the onion rings crispy.

Ingredients for the Biryani:

• 1 kg Basmati rice – soaked for an hour
• 1 kg chicken - make sure the chicken pieces are not too small. They should be medium sized.

Marination for the Chicken:

Salt to taste
½ lemon juice
½ tsp garam masala
Whole garam masala:
1 clove
1 big cardamom
1 small cardamom
½ inch cinnamon
3 tbsp hung curd
½ tsp red chili powder
Mix the chicken with all these ingredients and set aside.

Preparing the Rice:

• Boil water in a large vessel
• As soon as the rice starts boiling, add the soaked rice
• ½ inch cinnamon
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp ghee
• Cook the rice till its parboiled and set aside

The Grande Finale - Biryani:

• Take a heavy bottomed vessel add 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbs ghee.
• Fry Masala 2 on high flame.
• When this masala is slightly done, then add Masala 1.
• Fry till the masalas start leaving oil.
• Add the marinated chicken and fry till it’s cooked.
• Remove the cooked chicken along with the masalas.
• Wash the same utensil and add 1 tbsp ghee.
• Add the whole garam masalas which was used for marinating the chicken.
• Now add a layer of the cooked chicken, then add the parboiled rice and sprinkle the fried onion rings, dry fruits, 2 tbsp milk and ½ a lemon juice.
• Don’t forget to add 5-6 drops of food color.
• Again add the chicken, parboiled rice and repeat the garnishing as before.
• Keep kneaded wheat dough (atta) ready, which you will apply on the rim of the vessel. If you don’t have a heavy bottom vessel, then use a pressure cooker and place it on a tava.
• “Don’t place the vessel directly on the flame, as it will burn the food at the bottom. It's best to use heavy bottom vessel while preparing biryani,” adds Mahua.
• Cover it with a lid, and ensure the dough sticks to the sides of the lid to prevent steam from escaping.
• “The aim is to cook the rice and chicken in the steam and allow the aroma and flavor to mix well,” she mentions.
• While serving, don't mix the rice and chicken.
• Usually biryani is made in large vessels called dekchi and it is perfectly alright to serve biryani in a dekchi which will add an authentic style to serving it.

Now for the coriander chutney that will compliment this biryani.