Making biryani is a delicious and aromatic process. Here's a simplified recipe for chicken biryani:

Making biryani is a delicious and aromatic process. Here's a simplified recipe for chicken biryani:

Ingredients:

For Marination:

- 500g chicken pieces

- 1 cup yogurt

- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

- 1 tsp red chili powder

- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

- Salt to taste

For Rice:

- 2 cups basmati rice

- Water for cooking rice

- 2-3 green cardamom pods

- 2-3 cloves

- 1 bay leaf

- Salt to taste

For Biryani:

- 2 onions, thinly sliced

- 2 tomatoes, chopped

- 2-3 green chilies, slit

- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

- 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee

- 1 tsp cumin seeds

- 1 tsp garam masala

- A pinch of saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk

- Fried onions (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Cook the rice: Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly and cook it with water, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, and salt until it's 70-80% cooked. Drain and set aside.

3. Prepare the saffron milk: Soak saffron strands in warm milk and set aside.

4. In a large pot, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

5. Add sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.

6. Add marinated chicken and cook until it's no longer pink and slightly browned.

7. Add chopped tomatoes and green chilies. Cook until the tomatoes become soft and the oil starts to separate.

8. Layering: In a heavy-bottomed pot or a biryani pot, add a layer of partially cooked rice. Follow with a layer of chicken mixture, chopped mint, and coriander leaves. Repeat the layers.

9. Drizzle the saffron milk and sprinkle garam masala on top.

10. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or seal it with dough to trap steam.

11. Cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice and chicken are fully cooked and the flavors meld together.

12. Garnish with fried onions if desired.

13. Serve your delicious homemade chicken biryani hot with raita or salad.

Enjoy your homemade biryani! You can also customize this recipe with vegetables or other proteins if you prefer.