Katchi Biryani
Katchi biryani is the style where raw marinated meat goes into the pot under partly cooked rice and finishes cooking as it steams. A long yoghurt marinade with fried onions, mint, green chiles and ginger-garlic paste tenderizes the chicken and seasons it through. Foil sealed over the pot traps the steam, and saffron milk and butter melt down into the rice. Lamb or goat also work with a longer marinade.
Instructions
Mix the fried onions with the yoghurt, chopped green chiles, chopped mint, ghee, garam masala, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Add the chicken, turn it to coat, and leave it to marinate for at least 4 to 5 hours.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the black cardamom, black cumin, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, salt and oil. When the water is boiling again, stir in the rice.
Cook the rice until it is tender but still not fully done, since it will finish cooking later. Drain off the water.
Spread a very thin layer of the drained rice over the bottom of a clean pot so the meat cannot stick. Lay the marinated chicken on top, then cover it with the rest of the rice.
Stir the saffron into a little milk. Set one piece of butter in each quarter of the pot, then pour the lemon juice and saffron milk over the rice and push the whole chillies into it.
Scatter the chopped coriander and fried onions over the top and finish with a sprinkle of garam masala.
Cover the pot tightly with foil so no steam escapes. Cook over high heat for about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pot every 10 minutes so it heats evenly.
Check that both the chicken and the rice are fully cooked, then serve. If you use lamb or goat instead of chicken, marinate it for 12 hours.
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