Chicken Biryani Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken
1 cup basmati rice. Soak the rice in 1.5 cups of water for 15-20 minutes.
6 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon saunf
2 tablespoons ginger, garlic paste
2 cloves
2 cinnamon
2 cardamom
2 bay leaves
1 cup yogurt
5 mint leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice(half lemon)
orange color or saffron
salt to taste
Masala Paste:
4 kadal paasi
4 maratti mokku
4 annasi poo
2 bay leaves
6 green chillies
2 cloves
2 cinnamon
2 cardamom
2 bay leaves
Note: You can buy the above ingredients in any Indian grocery store(Patel Brothers in US).
Grind the above masala ingredients into a fine paste.
Procedure:
Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, saunf, mint leaves and cardamom. Fry finely chopped onions and ginger, garlic paste. Add chicken to this mixture and saute for 5 minutes. Add the ground masala paste, salt, color/saffron and half cup water. Cover and cook in a low heat, this would take approximately 15 minutes (chicken should be half done). Add finely chopped tomato, yogurt and lime juice. Add the soaked rice and water. Cover and cook in a very low heat, this would take approximately 15 minutes. Do not stir or open the lid during this process. Serve hot with onion raita!
Variations:
Chicken can be replaced with mutton or vegetables or just mushrooms!
Enjoy the recipe!