Oriya Biryani

Instructions:

Step 1: Marinate the Meat

• In a large bowl, mixyogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala,and salt.
• Add chicken or mutton pieces to the marinade, coat well, and let it marinate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Cook the Rice

• Wash and soak the JeeraSamba rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain.
• In a large pot, bring 4cups of water to a boil.
• Add bay leaf, cloves,cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and salt.
• Add drained rice and cook until rice is 70-80% cooked. Drain and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Biryani Base

• Heat ghee and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.
• Add cumin seeds and letthem splutter.
• Add sliced onions and fryuntil golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside forgarnishing.
• Add green chilies and chopped tomatoes, and cook until tomatoes are soft.
• Add marinated meat and cookon medium heat until meat is tender and cooked through.
• Stir in chopped corianderand mint leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 4: Layer the Biryani

• In the same pan with themeat mixture, spread half of the semi-cooked rice.
• Sprinkle half of thereserved fried onions over the rice.
• Layer the remaining riceover the onions and meat.
• Top with the remaining fried onions and saffron-infused milk. Drizzle with ghee.

Step 5: Dum Cooking

• Cover the pan with atight-fitting lid or seal it with aluminum foil.
• Cook on low heat (dum) for30-40 minutes. Place a tawa (griddle) underneath to prevent direct heat.
• Once done, let it rest for10 minutes before opening the lid.

Step 6: Serve

• Gently fluff the biryaniwith a fork to mix the layers without breaking the rice grains.
• Garnish with fried onion sand serve hot with raita or salad.