Kani's Biryani

We had a fun get together at Rhonda's with most of the
Westovers. This is what I brought and it met with good approval.

2 c. basamati rice (I buy this from the bulk bins at the grocery store)
chicken pieces - Kani says the bones add flavor, so I usually use skinless legs or wings and after it is done cooking, I pull the meat off and throw away the bones, but you can use breast meat if you like.
1 large onion - sliced thinly
1 large tomato - diced
1 Tblsp fresh ginger - finely chopped or ground
4 serrano chilis - more if you like it hotter
4 large garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cup plain yogurt or greek yogurt
1/2 bunch cilantro - pull off the leaves and chop really fine with the mint leaves
fresh mint leaves - a little more than the cilantro
4 whole cloves
4 cardamoms (buy them from the bulk spices - they are quite cheap there)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter - unsalted if you wish, but I don't think it matters

Cut and wash the chicken and cover it with 2 Tbsp of the yogurt mixed with the salt, tumeric, chili powder and garam masala. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt the butter in large frying pan. Add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick and cook til the butter turns golden. Add the oil and heat. Add the onions and cook til golden (this takes about 45 minutes in Salt Lake - you will see the color go from whitish to golden.) Add ginger, garlic and serrano chilis - just wash them and cut a slit down one side. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken covered with the yogurt. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and mint and the rest of the yogurt and cook for about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting the 10 min, boil 3 cups of salted water and add the rice. Stir it and cover it and turn it off while you do the rest.

The chicken stuff should cook over medium heat til the oil comes to the top, and it should be thick, not runny.

You need a covered casserole dish to bake the biryani. Put 1/2 the chicken stuff in, then 1/2 the rice, then chicken and end with rice. Wet a thin cotton dish towel, wring it out and spread it over the rice. Put the lid on and put it in a hot 400% oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and let it sit for 15 minutes and then gently stir it. Serve.

This makes about 8 cups of biryani. I like to fish out the whole cloves and the cardamoms before I bake it because they taste nasty if you bite them and it is hard to find them in the rice. I also take out the chilis and the cinnamon stick when I stir it up.

It is not hard, it just takes time and you have to plan ahead a little.