Spicy Chicken Biryani (Pressure Cooker Method) - Recipe with step by step pictures

Serving for - 4-5

Ingredients

Rice - 3 cups (Wash and soak in enough water for 1/2 hour)

Chicken - 900 gm (Cut into medium sized pieces and wash under warm water)

Onion - 4 (finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Bay leaves - 2

Oil - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

To make masala / spices powder

Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp

Dry grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Sesame seeds - 1-2 tbsp

Dried red chilies - 6-7

Cinnamon stick - 2 inch piece

Cloves - 5

Black peppercorns - 18-20

Green cardamom - 6

Bay leaves - 2

For Marination

Yogurt - 1 cup

Ground spices powder / masala

Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Procedure

• Heat pan on low heat. Add all ingredients mentioned under 'To make masala / spices powder' except dry grated coconut and sesame seeds. Dry roast spices until you smell nice aroma from them. Then add coconut and sesame seeds. Roast them nicely till they turn slight brown in color.
• Let them cool down little bit. Grind them to make a coarse powder and keep it aside.

• For marination, take chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Add yogurt, ground spices powder, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. Let them crackle. Add chopped onions and saute till they turn slight brown in color. It may take around 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook till they get completely mashed up with onion. It may take around 6-8 minutes.
• Then add marinated chicken and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add soaked rice and 3 and 1/2 cups of water. (The rice is soaked for 1/2 hour and we have already added 1 cup of yogurt at the time of marination and used some tomatoes too. Hence, I added less water than standard measurement. It worked for me, but cook as per your own judgement. See the amount of gravy you get, then decide how much water you need accordingly). 
• Cook till 3 whistles and let the pressure go naturally. Garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve hot with rayta.