Recipe: Chicken Biryani

Biryani
rec.food.reicpes/Christine, Toronto, Canada

This is an authentic recipe, not one from a book. I got it from a woman I used to baby sit for who was from Tanzania by way of India. She used to make it just for me (lucky me!!) It is absolutely amazing.

6 chicken legs, skinned and cut up (keep the bones) or 2 lbs beef, boiled for 1 hour
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
3-4 Tbsp oil
1 can tomato paste
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1 cup fried onions (optional)
salt
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
2 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed
7 cups water
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 peppercorns
1 tsp jeera seeds (cumin)

Mix chicken legs, or beef, with yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt, black pepper and turmeric. Cook, covered, in a medium pot until the chicken is done. Heat oil in a frying pan.

Add tomato paste, chopped tomato, green onions, green pepper and lemon juice Add mixture to the chicken and add garam masala (optional) and fried onions (optional). Salt and 1 tsp chilli powder can be added also if desired.

Boil water. Add rice and salt and continue boiling until nearly, but not quite, cooked. Strain and place in a oven-proof pot.

In a frying pan heat oil. Add cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and jeera (cumin) seeds. When slightly brown pour over rice. Make a layered dish of rice-meat-rice-meat. Cover and place in Microwave oven for 10 minutes or conventional oven for 20 minutes at 375 F.