"Easy Biryani"

              Nothing pleases me more than my family, friends and good food. It is easy to impress someone with good food. Some recipes demands lot of time and attention .And as far as I know Biryani is one of them. When this was made at my home , Amma would patiently wait for rice to be half cooked , drain it, layer it in a heavy bottomed pan with chicken, bake it and on goes the process. This made me nervous!!...And after cooking,a whole sink of vessels will be waiting to get cleaned up.
             Recently I learned this recipe from my husband, and this for sure is the easiest Biryani recipe I have come across. I was blown away when he made this for me .Since rice, chicken and masala are cooked together at the same time ,the whole dish looks green in colour (weird) .The first time he offered me, I was hesitant to taste it. But this biryani did impress me, and so did Kuryappee.Thanks to his room mate who taught him the recipe and technique. All you need is a cooker and big spoon and if wisely done ,all you have to clean will be this cooker and the spoon

         Ingredients

(This would serve 2 people)

1. 1 cup basmathi rice  approximately 220 gm(1/2 cup per person)
2. 4 chicken legs.

       For Masala

1. 3 tbsp ghee or oil
2. 50 gm  coriander leaves
3. 10-15 gm mint leaves
4. 5-10 peppercorns   
5. 4 cardamom pods
6. 1 bay leaf          
7. 2 star anise
8. 4-5 cloves
9. 1 inch cinnamon stick 
10. 1/4 tsp fennel and cumin seed .
11. 2 green chillies
12. 1 inch ginger piece,2 garlic clove (can be replaced 1 tsp ginger garlic paste)
13. 1 onion finely chopped
14. 1 tomato finely chopped
15. 1 tbsp biryani masala (If you dont have whole garam masala{ingredients 4-10} then add 2 tbsp biryani                            masala)
16. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
17. 1/2 tsp chilly and 1/2tsp coriander powder
18. salt as required

          For Garnishing

1. 3 tbsp ghee/oil
2. 10 cashew nuts
3.  10-20 raisin     

    Preparation

• In a blender ,blend the ingredients from 2 to 11 with little bit of water till they form a paste and keep aside
• In a cooker, dry roast the rice till it turns golden brown.Take that rice off and keep it aside.
• Pour ghee and fry raisins and cashew nuts ,drain off the excess ghee and keep it aside for garnishing.
• Add rest of the ghee and  saute the finely chopped onion ginger and garlic till they are golden brown.
• Add tomato and saute it for 1-2 minutes
• Add Biryani masala, chilly, coriander and turmeric powder and saute it for another 30 sec.
• Add the mint coriander paste, cook it for 2 minutes and add salt.
• Add the chicken pieces and thoroughly mix in with the Masala. Close the cooker and wait for a whistle.Turn the flame off 
• Once the pressure subside open the cooker and add the  rice. Make sure that water in the cooker is double the amount of rice. ie  for 1 cup of rice, water in the cooker should be 2 cups. Add extra water only if needed.
• Back to the stove and give it one good whistle and then take it off from the flame.Once again open the lid after the pressure subsides. 

                                    Serve hot biryani with pappadam, salad and lemon pickle....