Recipe for Mughlai Murg Dum Biryani



Mughlai Murg Dum Biryani: 

Ingredients:
Chicken - 800 grams (cut into 8 pieces)
Yoghurt - 1 Cup
Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric and Hot spice mix powder - 1 tsp each
Rice - Basmati 2 Cups
Milk - 1 Tbsp
Water - 6 Cups
Cinnamon Stick broken 2"
Bay leaves, cloves, black and green cardamoms - 4 each
Black peppercorns and cumin seeds - 1 tsp each
Ginger and garlic - 1 Tbsp each chopped
Mace - 1 Blade
Grated Nutmeg - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 6
Mix of chopped Coriander and mint leaves - 1 Cup
Poppy seeds 8 Tbsp
Tomatoes 2 medium sized chopped
Onions 2 medium sized chopped
ghee/ Butter - 4 Tbsp
Saffron dissolved in some warm milk 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Garnishing - 2 large onions cut into fine rings, fried cashews and raisins
Aluminum foil for sealing  small sheet
Method:
 Brown the onion rings in a little hot clarified ghee/ butter. Grind together a small portion of the browned onion, ginger, garlic, mace, nutmeg, green chilies, coriander-mint leaves, poppy seeds, tomatoes, chopped onions, and half of the cinnamon, cloves, black and green cardamom, black peppercorns, and bay leaves t o paste. make cuts into the chicken pieces. In a bowl combine yoghurt, red chilies powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, ground paste and salt. Rub the mixture onto chicken and keep it aside for at least an hour.
In a large vessel combine rice, water, milk and remaining whole spices except cumin seeds, and salt and cook till rice is half done. Drain excess liquid and spread rice on plate to cool.
Heat clarified ghee/ butter in a heavy bottom pan till hot and splutter the cumin seeds. Add chicken pieces with the marinade and fry on high for a few seconds. Cover and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or till the chicken is almost done. Remove from pan and keep aside.
In the same pan add some clarified ghee/ butter, layer of chicken with gravy, a layer of rice topped with portion of brown onions and saffron milk. In the same way make layers till they are all used up. Make Sure that the top most layer is of rice and is topped with melted ghee/ butter, browned onions and saffron milk. Spread the aluminum foil on the top of the pan and cover it and close it with tight lid. Cook on a very low level 9a riddle can be kept under pan to cook in indirect flame) for another 12 minutes.
Garnish with  fried cashews and raisins.