Chicken Kofta Briyani

For rice:

450gm basmati rice

3 cloves

3 cardamom

2 bay leaves

2 screwpine leaves, knotted (pandan leaves)

Wash and soak basmati rice for 20mins. Then drain and leave in a colander. Cook the rice, with enough water until 3/4 cooked with all the spices. Once cooked, use a fork to loosen the grains. Discard the screwpine leaves.

For kofta

400gm minced chicken (I used ayamas minced chicken)

2 medium size red onions, chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp chopped mint leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

2 tsp ginger -garlic paste

1 tbsp chopped green chilies

1/2 tsp home made garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp corn flour 

salt to taste

(extra corn flour, to roll and shallow fry)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then shape it round and place on a flat plate. Roll each kofta in corn flour before shallow frying until golden brown. Dish out on a paper towel.

For kofta gravy

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 cardamom

2  medium size onions, chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp homemade garam masala

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp fennel powder

3 tomatoes, chopped, discard the pith,chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp chopped mint leaves

3 tbsp Greek yogurt, beaten with some water if too thick

1 lemon grass, use white part only, knocked lightly

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

In a skillet, add in 3tbsp planta margerine and 2 tbsp shallot oil ( I fried onions and used the left over oil to saute the ingredients).

 Add in cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, and onions, Saute onions for a minute, then add in ginger garlic paste. Stir further until aromatic. Add in turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin and fennel powders, garam masala and stir well to mix. If too dried add a bit more oil. Once aromatic, mix in chopped tomatoes and lemon grass. Stir well and cook until tomatoes turn mussy and oil floats on the surface. This ensures  that the spices are well cooked. Mix in sugar, salt and mint and coriander leaves.

Mix well with masala. Add in fried koftas one by one and stir to combine. Leave to cook for 3 to 4mins. Then pour in beaten yogurt. If the yogurt is too thick then mix with a few tbsp of water to get a good consistency. Slowly pour in the masala. Stir well and leave to cook further for another 5mins. Close fire. Now, we are ready to assemble the gravy with rice. 

To assemble rice and gravy in pot:

2 tbsp milk mix with 4 to 5 strands of saffron

1 tbsp melted ghee

5 tbsp fried shallots

4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

4 tbsp chopped mint leaves

3 tbsp fried almonds

Take a claypot, which is wide, make rice into 3 parts, the first part,spread cook basmati rice 

 and spread with the koftas with some gravy,  sprinkle some chopped mint and coriander leaves, and shallot crisps, then again spread the 2nd part of the rice, finish off all the koftas and gravy, sprinkle with chopped mint and coriander leaves, sprinkle shallot crisps, and almonds. Finally top with the last part of the cooked basmati rice, sprinkle with chopped mint and coriander leaves, melted ghee, saffron , fried shallots/crisps and almonds. Cover with a banana leaf. Close lid and cook for 10mins in low flame. Once cooked, close fire. I served the kofta briyani with Vegetable Dalca, pickled onions, veges and papadam.