Chicken Briyani / சிக்கன் பிரியாணி

This method of chicken briyani uses convection oven. This takes a long time for cooking (takes ah hour) but it tastes good because of the slow cooking process.

Ingredients:
Chicken – 300 gms
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Onion – 3 (long sliced)
Tomato – 4
Ginger Garlic paste – 3tbsp
Green chilies - 2
Chilli powder – 4 tsp
Yogurt – 1 tbsp
Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
Whole garam masala (Bay leaves – 1, Cinnamon -1, Cardamom – 1 stick, Clove – 7)
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt

Procedure:
• Cut chicken into slightly bigger pieces and clean them
• Marinate the chicken with Chilli powder, 1tbsp ginger garlic paste, salt and yogurt. Keep it marinated for 1-2 hrs
• Wash and soak rice in water for ½ hr
• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Heat oil in a pan
• Add whole garam masala, ginger garlic paste, green chilly, onion and tomatoes one after another sautéing each for a awhile
• Add marinated chicken to it and sauté for a awhile
• Add mint and coriander leaves and then add drained rice
• Saute for a while and turn of heat
• Take a oven proof pan and spray oil all thru the sides
• Pour the chicken rice mix into the pan and add water ( 3 cups of water for 4 cups of pre-soaked rice. There may be some water in the rice mix itself. So u may have to add 2 ¼ cups of water).
• Mix thoroughly and cover with a aluminium foil
• Keep it the oven for 50 – 60 mts.
• After 60 mts remove the foil and mix the rice.
• Garnish with coriander leaves

If u feel the process is very time consuming, u can cook chicken separately on stove top. Half cook the rice and then mix both and keep it in oven for 15 mts.