Chicken Donne Biryani

Chicken Donne Biryani is served in a donne piping hot. This biryani gets its name from this. It is an aromatic biryani prepared with Spices and ground masala.

While Biryani on its own is popular among the biryani lovers, vendors find other interesting angle to market their ware. Donne Biryani is of that innovative types. Donne is a bowl made of eco friendly leaves. The biryani is served in these donnes. They use dried palm leaves apart from other leaves that are widely used to serve food in Indian houses.

The biryani is served piping hot in donne, you will feel the flavour of the leaf steeping into the biryani. Just like the smoked flavour, this donne biryani is unique. Other interesting version is the Kunda Biryani, where you cook the biryani, dum is done a mud pot. The final biryani has an earthly flavour to it.

Ingredients

For Marination

• 700 grams Chicken
• ½ cup Hung Curds
• ½" inch Ginger , crushed to paste
• 4 Garlic cloves medium sizes , paste
• 1 Tsp Red Chilli powder
• ½ Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Refined Oil
• 1 Tsp Salt

For Masala Paste

• 3 Onions medium size , sliced
• 6-8 Green Chilies , spice variant
• 2" inch Ginger or 1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
• 20 Garlic Cloves or 2 Tbsp Garlic Paste
• 2 " inch Cinnamon Sticks
• 4 Cloves
• ½ Tsp BlackPeppercorns
• 2 Strands Mace /Javitri
• 3 Green Cardamom pods
• 1 Tsp Saunf /Fennel Seeds
• ½ Tsp Stone Flower /Dagad Phool
• ½ Tsp Black Jeera /Shahi Jeera
• ½ cup Mint leaves
• ½ cup Coriander Leaves
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Tbsp Ghee /Clarified Butter

For Cooking Chicken Stock

• 1 Tsp Oil
• 1 no Bay Leaf
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 2-3 Cloves
• 2-3 Green Cardamom pods
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3.5 cups Water
• Chicken marinade

For Biryani Rice

• 500 grams Jeera Rice / Seeragam Rice
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 2 Tbsp Ghee
• 2 Bayleaf
• 4 Cloves
• 2" inch Cinnamon Sticks
• 2 Black Cardamom
• 2 Green Cardamom
• 2 Star Anise
• 2 Marathi moggu / Kapok seeds , optional
• 2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi /Dry Fenugreek Leaves
• 1 - 1.5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1.5 Tsp Salt or as required

Step by Steps

Wash and clean chicken , drain water completely. Marinate with all the ingredients listed under marination for minimum 30 minutes or more ,preferably keep in refrigerator.

Directions for Masala Paste

1. In a pan / kadhai , heat 1 Tbsp of oil and ghee ,add all the whole spices listed under masala paste and fry well ,till you get aroma of the spices.

2. Add roughly chopped onions, ginger ,garlic and fry well till raw smell goes off.

3. Add green chillies and fry well. Finally add mint and coriander leaves mix well and turn off the heat.

4. Allow it to cool, Once it cools down grind it to a fine paste without adding water.

For Preparing Chicken Stock

1. In a pressure cooker or a open pan , add 1 Tsp of oil , whole spices and marinated chicken.

2. Cook for 5 minutes, once chicken starts changing the color and juices starts to release, add 3.5 cups of water (for 700 to 750 grams chicken ) and bring it to boil , until chicken is cooked. Alternatively you can pressure cook for a whistle.

3. When chicken is cooked , Turn off the stove and separate chicken pieces and stock. If cooking in a pressure cooker , when pressure releases, open lid and separate chicken and stock and set aside.

For Preparing Biryani

1. Wash and soak jeera/seeragam rice for 10-15 minutes,drain water and keep it aside.

2. In a thick bottom pan, heat ghee ,oil add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves , star anise and fry well till spices leaves aroma to oil.

3. Add above ground masala paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add cooked chicken pieces to green masala paste and fry well.

5. For this add soaked and drained rice, mix well.

6. Now add chicken stock to rice ,mix well . Add about 11/2 to 2 Tsp of salt and cook rice.

7. When rice is cooked to about 80 % , add Kasuri methi, / dry fenugreek and lemon juice.

8. Mix well close tight lid, place a heavy pot filled with water and cook on sim for 20 minutes, Dum cooking.

9. After 20 minutes , own lid , fluff rice and serve hot.

10. Serve hot with raita, boiled eggs ,onion rings and lemon wedges.

TIPS

More hours you marinate ,more flavorful chicken will be.

If you are adding lemon juice while cooking add only to hot water or at the end after 80% rice is cooked. If you add to cold water it may turn bitter.

Jerra rice is preferable over basmati rice for this type of Donne Biryani.

Salt required should be approximately 3.5- 4 Tsp inclusive of marination, chicken stock and rice for the taken measurement.