Ingredients

For making Chicken Tikka you will need:
• 12 pieces Boneless Chicken
• 1 cup yogurt (curd/dahi)
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 tablespoon tandoori masala/ tikka masala (available in Indian Grocery Stores)
• 2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon red-orange food color
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste
For making Gravy you will need:
• 1 onion, sliced (for making Brown Onions)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup yogurt, fresh and whipped
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2-3 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• Few saffron strands
• 2 tablespoon oil/ghee for cooking
• Oil for deep frying
• Few Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Few mint leaves, finely chopped
For making Rice you will need:
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Let’s star making Chicken Tikka first, for that, rinse the chicken pieces very well in running water and keep aside. Take a big bowl and mix 1 cup yogurt (curd/dahi), 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 1 tablespoon garlic paste. 2 tablespoon tandoori masala, 2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon red-orange food color and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients very well. Now make 2-3 deep slits on each piece of chicken and apply the marinade on them. The slitting ensures that the flavor from the marinade goes all the way into the chicken, and also helps with quick and even cooking.

2. Refrigerate covered preferably overnight for best results, but even keeping it up to 4-6 hours, then too is ok. (Note: You can taste the marinade before adding chicken pieces and adjust salt/chili). Take out the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it on room temperature. Preheat the oven at 375F / 190C and thread the chicken pieces on to the skewers. You will be able to make either 1 big skewer or 2 small skewers from this much quantity. Place the chicken skewers on to the grill. Keep an oven tray or a foil paper underneath to catch any drippings which will be used later in gravy. Grill the chicken tikka’s for about 30 to 40 minutes, till the chicken is cooked properly. If you have tandoor then cooking time will be between 6 to 8 minutes. Make sure to brush the chicken pieces twice, so that the chicken doesn’t stick, and turn the pieces over every few minutes to get all sides equally done. Reserve the marinade and drippings, they will be added to the briyani’s gravy.

3. Take out the chicken pieces from the oven and keep aside. Heat good amount of oil in a frying pan and deep fry one sliced onion on medium high flame for 3-4 minutes, till onion is medium browned. Drain the Brown Onions on paper napkins and keep aside. Also soak few saffron strands in 1 cup of warm water and keep aside.

4. Let’s start preparing rice now. Rinse 2 cups basmati rice in running water and soak them for about 20 minutes. Bring 4 cups of water on few boils, add soaked rice, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf and some salt. Cook till the rice are about 3/4 done, remove and strain all the water.

5. Let’s start making gravy now. Now heat 2 tablespoon of oil in another pan and add whole spices, 2 cardamom pods, 1 inch cinnamon, 2-3 black peppercorns and 2 cloves. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and saute continue for few seconds on low flame. Add 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste and 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste. Stir fry, till the raw flavor goes away, and then add 1 fine chopped green chili and 1 fine chopped onion. Stir fry for few seconds and then quickly add chopped tomato. Cook till tomato turns little mushy. Stir in 1/4 cup of fresh and whipped yogurt. Also add 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and salt tot taste. Cook continue for a couple of minutes and then stir in half of the fried brown onions (reserve a handful for later). Cook together until the oil is released from the sides and then add reserved marinade as well as the drippings from the chicken and cook until the gravy is thick and cooked through.

6. Add about 1/2 cup of water, just enough to immerse the chicken pieces in. Once the water simmers, reduce the heat to low and then gently add the grilled chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat to cook the chicken through. Keep it checking and gently swirl everything together or stir gently with a flat spoon so that the gravy coats the chicken. It will take about 5 minutes. Once the chicken pieces are fully cooked, adjust the salt and spices as per your taste and keep it aside. Now let’s start assembling the chicken tikka biryani. First put half the rice back into the pan, sprinkle some Tikka Masala on top of it, sprinkle the handful of reserved fried onions and some chopped fresh coriander, again make a layer of rice to cover the masala.

7. Then drizzle about 1 tbsp of oil and the saffron water. Add remaining chicken tikka with gravy, make a last layer of rice, sprinkle a bit of orange color on one side, spread some more fried onions and chopped coriander and mint leaves.

8. Mix it up a bit with a spoon and cover the pot tightly. Steam this on low heat for 5-6 minutes or put in a 180 C preheated oven for about the same time. This tends to infuse the lovely biryani flavor into the rice as it steams. Serve hot!

Notes