Chicken Tikka Biryani- A Finger-licking deliciousness..

Chicken tikka Biryani is a dish in which the marinated chicken pieces are baked in the tikka masala and the flavored basmati rice is added to the Chicken tikka gravy which is then served along with Raita.
Chicken Tikka Masala is a very popular Indian delicacy in which the boneless chicken pieces are marinated in the spice mix of curd and spices and baked till perfection which is then added to a rich, creamy gravy and can be had along with naans/ rotis/ pilaf. This is a perfect appetizer for any occasion.

For this Biryani, I have used chicken with bone instead of boneless, and I made the Biryani using small grain rice which is as tasty and flavorful as the long grain.

For a long time, Biryani has become a part of Indian cuisine and so many different varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Biryani recipes are made. I have been thinking about making this tikka Biryani from a long time and so this weekend I tried it and surprisingly came out well.

The process looks a bit lengthy, but if the chicken tikka is made in advance like a day or two before then it will be very easy to prepare the Biryani. This will be an instant hit among guests if served at a party. This flavorful, spicy, aromatic Biryani will be loved by all. A little bit of foresight and planning for this dish and it can be made quickly.

I know that my last post is also chicken, but couldn't help it as I have to post this Biryani,  because this recipe I was longing to make and came out perfectly well.

I have marinated the chicken for 2 hours, you can marinate the chicken overnight, as the spices will be very well infused into the chicken. By looking at my preparation process don't panic, I will give some easy points to make the process easy and simple.

•  Prepare the tikka masala and store it in an airtight jar. This can be used for any other gravy or for paneer tikka masala.
• The day before making the Biryani, marinate the chicken pieces in the tikka masala and keep refrigerated till the next day.
• You can prepare the Biryani masala and store in the refrigerator.
• You will get perfectly cooked basmati rice if you follow the method which I explained below. You can make the long grain or the small grain rice.
• We ended the Biryani with a small glass of sulaimani/ black tea squeezed lemon. A great digestive drink.

Hope you all will try this out and let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

For Tikka Masala:

1. Coriander Seeds- 3 tbsp
2. Cumin Seeds- 2 tbsp
3. Pepper Corns- 2 tbsp
4. Red Chillies- 10- 12 nos
5. Cloves- 8- 9 nos
6. Cardamom- 6-7 no
7. Cinnamon- 1" stick
8. Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
10. Dry Mango Powder- 1/2 tbsp (optional)

Method for tikka masala:

• Dry roast all the ingredients under the tikka masala and grind it to a fine powder. Keep this in an airtight jar and use the powder as required.

For Preparing the Chicken Tikka:

1. Chicken- 2 pounds
2. Ginger- Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
3. Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp
4. Tikka Masala- 3 tbsp
5. Red Chili Powder- 1 Tsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1 Tsp
7. Salt- as required
8. Curd- 1 Cup

Method:

1. Wash and drain the chicken. Marinate the drained chicken using all the ingredients listed for chicken tikka and let it rest for 1 hour. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on a parchment paper and store the remaining masala liquid for future use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the marinated chicken pieces for about 20- 30 minutes, flipping in between. Keep this aside once done.

For the Biryani Masala:

1. Oil- 2 tbsp
2. Onions (chopped)- 3 nos
3. Tomatoes (chopped)- 2nos
4. Ginger- Garlic Paste- 2 tbsp
5. Red Chili Powder- 1 Tsp
6. Turmeric powder- 1 Tsp
7. Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
8. Pepper Corns- 1 Tsp
9. Slit Green Chilies- 4 nos
10. Garam Masala Powder- 2 Tsp
11. Curd- 1 Cup
12. Coriander and Mint Leaves (chopped)- 1/2 Cup
13. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Heat oil, add the chopped onions along with cumin and peppercorns. When they turn translucent, add the ginger- garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell disappears.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander and mint leaves. Stir well. Add the garam masala powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder with the required amount of salt.
3. Add the curd along with baked chicken pieces and the remaining tikka masala liquid. Mix well. Let this boil for about 5 minutes on a medium flame. Switch off and keep this aside till the rice is ready.

For the Rice:

1. Basmati Rice- 3 cups
2. Water- 6 Cups
3. Oil- 1 tbsp
4. Clarified Butter- 1 tbsp
5. Whole Spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise) - 1 tbsp
6. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Soak the rice for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep this aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and clarified butter. Add the whole spices and pour 6 cups water. Cover with a lid and let this boil on high flame.
3. Once when the water starts to boil, add the drained rice and close with the lid, let it cook on low flame for exactly 20 minutes.
4. After 20 minutes, switch off the flame, let this rest for 10 minutes. Open, fluff with a fork.

Assembling:

1. Clarified Butter- 1 tbsp
2. Fried Onions- 1/2 Cup
3. Coriander Leaves (chopped)- 1/4 Cup

• In a wide mouthed vessel, layer the chicken tikka masala and rice alternating with a tbsp of clarified butter, fried onions and chopped coriander leaves. Close with a tight lid and serve when needed.

Chicken in fenugreek leaves and Cream/ Methi Malai Murgh (MMM)

Methi Malai Murg is a creamy chicken, curried in yogurt and cream with a punch of dried fenugreek leaves. This is popular Indian cuisine, which comes from the Mughals and is a perfect side dish for rotis, naan, rumali rotis.

This creamy, silky chicken gravy is a perfect show stopper for any parties. This is stunningly tasty, super quick and a perfect winter dish to keep you warm. This dish will be liked by all.

The chicken gets cooked well with all the spices along with yogurt and cream and the addition of kasoori methi will give an amazing aroma and flavor to the dish.

Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek seeds, which is used in most of the Indian cooking. These leaves are slightly bitter and are crushed to enhance the flavors before adding to a dish. These are easily available in all the Indian stores across the US. I loved the flavor of these dried fenugreek seeds when I first used them in Rara Chicken- a Punjabi dish. Try making this dish at home and I am sure that everybody will fall in love with this dish.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken- 1 1/2 Pounds
2. Oil- 1 tbsp
3. Whole Spices (Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon) - 1 tbsp
4. Bay Leaf- 1 no
5. Onions and Green Chilies (chopped) - 2 nos
6. Ginger & Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
7. Tomatoes (chopped) - 1 no
8. Yogurt- 1/2 Cup
9. Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
10. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
11. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
12. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
13. Garam Masala Powder- 1 Tsp
14. Salt- as required
15. Fresh Cream- 1/3 Cup
16. Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves) - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Clean, wash and drain the chicken pieces. Keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell disappears. Add the ginger- garlic paste. Mix well.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and when they turn mushy, add the red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and the garam masala powder.
4. Stir well, add the yogurt along with chicken and salt. Mix till everything gets well blended.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and close with a lid till the chicken gets cooked well. Once the chicken gets cooked, add the cream and adjust the consistency of water.
6. Sprinkle with the Kasuri Methi to the cooked chicken and cook for about 2 more minutes and switch off the flame. Serve the hot MMM along with rotis/ pulav.