Authentic Kolkata Biryani Recipe

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Kolkata is a pilgrimage for biryani lovers. If you call yourself a biryani lover, Kolkata's special biryani is simply must try. Biryani recipes can be described simply as rice and meat cooked in layers of spices. Biryani as a form of food came to Kolkata with the nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, who was exiled in Bengal. So it is fair to say that the Kolkata biryani developed from the Lucknowi biryani recipe.

Most Bengalis are foodies and that reflects clearly in this Bengali recipe. That is why the Kolkata version of biryani is such a delicious innovation. The special features of the Kolkata biryani is that spices are much milder than other biryani recipes. Also, potato is an integral vegetable of this Bengali recipe.

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• Chicken- 500 grams (medium sized pieces)
• Basmati Rice- 4 cups (washed and soaked)]
• Potatoes- 4 (peeled and cut into halves)
• Curd- 2 cups
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1tsp
• Onions- 2+1 (chopped finely)
• Ginger- 1 inch
• Garlic- 8 pods
• Green chillies- 5
• Black cardamom- 1
• Bay leaves- 4
• Green cardamom- 4
• Cinnamon stick- 1
• Cloves- 5
• Peppercorns- 10
• Saffron- 1 pinch
• Milk- 1 cup
• Rose water- 1tbsp
• Kewra water- 1tbsp
• Salt- as per taste
• Oil- 2tbsp
• Ghee- 4 tbsp

Procedure

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with curd, red chilli power, turmeric and salt.

2. Soak saffron and kewra in half a cup of milk each.

3. Half cook the rice with bay leaves and black cardamom. You need to cook it for about 10 minutes on low flame.

4. Drain away the water and keep the rice aside for the time being.

5. Roast the ingredients of garam masala namely, peppercorns, cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon on a dry pan for 30 seconds.

6. Let it cool and then grind it into a fine powder.

7. Heat oil in deep bottomed pan. Saute 2 chopped onions in it. While the onions cook, grind ginger, garlic and green chillies into a thick paste.

8. Add the paste to the pan when the onions turn golden. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add a spoonful of the garam masala you have prepared.

9. Now add the marinated chicken to pan and stir well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Add little water if required.

10. As the chicken cooks, deep fry the rest of the chopped onions in 1tbsp ghee. Keep them aside once they are crisp.

11. Also fry the potatoes and keep them aside.

12. Now take a big metal pot and grease it with ghee. Make one layer of rice. And top it with a layer of chicken gravy and 2 potatoes.

13. On top of this sprinkle some garam masala, fried onions, rose water, kewra and saffron (with milk).

14. Now make consecutive layers of meat, potato and rice till your ingredients end. The top layer must be of rice. Heat the rest of the ghee and pour it on the top layer.

15. Now seal the mouth of the pot with wheat flour dough to tighten the lid and steam from coming out. Cook this on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

The Kolkata style biryani will be ready to eat. You can serve this chicken biryani with raita or have it with haleem.