Lucknowi Murg Biryani

Lucknowi Murg Biryani also known as awadhi style chicken biryani is a very aromatic, royal taste biryani. Here the meat is is marinated in curd, various herbs and layered with rice for making dum. Awadhi cuisine is greatly influnced by nawab who were of persian origin. This is one of my favorite biryani which I make often at home. They are bit spicy like hyderabadi biryani with little differences.

Ingredients

• 1 kg basmati rice Long grain
• 1 kg Chicken - cut into medium pieces
• 6 Onion - large
• 4 tbsp Ginger paste
• 4 tbsp Garlic paste
• 8 Green chili - slit
• 1/2 cup Mint
• 1/2 cup Coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup Coconut - grated
• 1/2 cup water Khus khus - soaked in
• 2 tbsps cream Malai Full
• 1 + 2 cup tbsps curd Thick
• 4 tbsps Coriander powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder Red
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• Salt - as needed
• 1 cup Oil
• 4 tbsps Ghee
• 2 Lemon
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 1 tbsp Milk
• 1 tbsp water Kewra
• 1 cup onions Fried

Whole Spices

• 4 Bay leaf
• 2 inchs Cinnamon
• 6 Cloves
• 6 Black pepper corns
• 4 cardamom Green
• 4 cardamom Black
• 2 Star anise
• 1/2 Nutmeg - crushed
• 1 tsp Mace
• 1 tbsp jeera Shah

Step by Steps

Step 1

In a large bowl, take the cleaned chicken, add in ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, lemon, curd, cream, salt, cinnamon, cloves, shah jeera, black pepper, cardamom, star anise, black stone flower and all other spices mentioned under "to marinate chicken". Combine everything together and marinate it for 1 hour.

Step 2

Soak the basmati rice in water for 20 minutes. Cut onion into thin slices and deep fry in oil until brown. Once it is fried, drain and keep aside.

Step 3

In a heavy bottomed vessel, add 1/4 cup of oil and add the marinated chicken. Cook for 10 minutes. Add in 1 cup of water, coriander leaves and cover and cook over low to medium flame. When the cooked rice is added for dum process, the chicken should be half cooked.

Step 4

Meanwhile, place water in another vessel, add in ghee, salt, spices given under "to cook rice" and bring it to boil. Drain excess water from the soaked basmati rice and add to it. Cook until 75% cooked.

Step 5

Add the cooked rice to the chicken gravy, drizzle some ghee on the top and add kewra water, saffron milk. Spread in coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilli.

Step 6

Heat a griddle on high flame. Once the griddle becomes hot, place biryani vessel on the top. Cover with a foil and tightly close with a lid (or Place a vessel with hot water on the top). Cook on medium flame for 5 minutes and on slow flame for 25 minutes. After 30 minutes, put off the flame and fluff the rice carefully from the edges.

Step 7

Serve hot with cucumber raita, mirchi ka salan or any of your favorite accompaniment.

Tips

Always place a tawa below the pot while giving dum as the rice tends to burn at the base if there is no griddle or pan placed at the bottom.

Always check the salt in the chicken gravy and also check for the taste of salt in the water that is boiling to get the perfect biryani flavors.