Malabar Chicken Biriyani- Kaayikka Style

Hot and spicy Chicken Dhum biriyani made at home in a tricky way, with no charcoal on top or maida sealing.
This can be made in a closed pressure cooker without loosing the quality sealing all the spices inside the cooker. This is a homely version of the exact recipe of the famous kayikka chicken biriyani from Kochin. This is very famous in our place. Very very yummy among all the biriyanis I ever tasted..

Ingredients
1. Chicken- 1/2 kg
2. Rice- 2 cups
3. Spices like cinnamon,cloves,bay leaf and cardamom- 4-5 each
4. Ghee-3 tbsp
5. Salt, to taste
6. Tomato-1
7. Onion, thinly sliced- 3
8. Slit green chillies-4-5
9. Garlic pods-6
10. Coconut milk- 1/2 cup (optional)
11. Badam/ Almond-10 (optional)
12. Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
13. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
14. Paprika- 1 tsp
15. Coriander powder- 2 tsp
16. Garam masala- 1 tsp
17. Cashew nuts and Raisins- 10-12.
18. Ginger-gralic paste- 2 tsp
19. Cardomom powder- 1/4 tsp
20. Curry leaves- 2 strands
21. Coriander leaves, to garnish.

Preparation Method
1. Clean and cut the chicken pieces. Mix all the ingredients 12,13,14,5,15,16,18 and 19. Keep aside for 1 and a half hours.
2. At the same time, wash the rice and soak in water for half an hour.
3. In a deep vessel add all the spices, half tsp ghee and enough salt.
4. Pour four cups water for 2 cup rice. Let the water boil.
5. To the boiling water with spices, add the washed rice removing the soaked water. Let the rice cook to its three-forth.
6. In a pan, prepare chicken masala by sautéing 2 tbsp ghee, ginger-garlic paste,green chillies, curry leaves and onion.
7. Add tomatoes when onion becomes translucent.
8. Add the marinated chicken and mix well. Cook till the chicken is cooked well and a semi-thickened gravy is obtained.
9. In another pan, add some ghee and fry some 1/4 cup onion to deep brown but soft and then the cashews and raisins, the same way we do for payasam.

Making dham for biriyani

9. In a deep pressure cooker, add some ghee, then add a layer of half-done rice, then a layer of chicken curry with pieces,then again a layer of rice,then chicken curry. Continue layering till all the curry and rice is transferred to the cooker.
Make sure you add enough gravy for the first layer , otherwise there are chances of the whole thing getting burned.
10. On top, add some ghee and add the fried onion, cahews and raisins.
11. Grind the peeled almond with coconut milk in a blender and pour on top of this. Garnish with some coriander leaves.
12. Cover the cooker and cook for 30 mnts in very low flame so that the bottom does not get burned. Do not put the weight for the cooker. After sometime, fumes will start coming from the cooker knob.
13. After 30 mnts, switch off the flame and let it rest for 20 minutes.
14. Open the cooker, mix the rice and curry evenly without breaking the tender chicken pieces. Donot mash the rice applying too much pressure while mixing.
15. Serve the hot and spicy malabari chicken biriyani with a splash of lime juice on top and a bowl of raita.

Courtesy: TasteofKerala@AmritaTv