Ingredients: Basmathi rice - 3 cups (600 gms) Chicken (with bones and skin) - 1.

5 lbs (almost equal to rice in weight) Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Red onion - 2 (200 gms) Tomato - 3 (1/4 kg) curd -1 cup Ghee - 5 tbsp cooking oil - 2 tbsp curry leaf - 1 sprig (optional) green chillies (uncut)- 3 Lemon (squeezed) - 2 tbsp salt - to taste. bay leaves - 2 star aniseed - 1 cinnamom stick - 3 inch Masala 1: Ginger - 3 inch Garlic - 6 pearls cumin - 1/2 tsp Fennel - 1 tsp black pepper (whole) - 1 tbsp Dry red chillies - 5 corinader seeds - 2 tbsp cardamom - 4 cloves - 6 Masala 2: cilantro- 1 handful. mint leaf -1 handful. green chillis - 5 (uncut). Method: Wash the rice. Pour enough water to fully cover the rice along with 1 tsp salt , little turmeric powder, lemon juice and cook in boiling water for 2 minutes or till 25% cooked. Drain water completely and keep the rice aside. For masala 1, dry roast the coriander, cumin, fennel,black pepper, dry red chill ies, cardamom, cloves and grind along with other items given. For masala 2, grind together the items given to a fine paste.Keep aside. Wash and clean the chicken pieces.(Don't remove the skin unless otherwise you ne ed to, as it will give a nice flavor to the biryani). Cut it in to big pieces. Apply 1/4 tsp turmeric over it. Marinate the chicken with 2 tsp salt and 1 cup curd, Heat 3 tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp cooking oil in a thick bottom vessel. Add star aniseed , cinnamon stick, bay leaf. (Don't let them char). Then goes the chopped onion, green chillies and curry leaf. Add masala 1 and stir well till the raw smell goes (don't fry for long time as i t will release pungent smell and it will make us sneeze). Now add the chopped tomato and cook till the oil oozes out of it. Also put the masala 2 and cook again till raw smell vanishes. Now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook till oil starts oozing. (The real taste lies in that frying process).Check and add salt if needed.(We can't add sa lt hereafter). Chicken should be almost completely cooked now.

Add the rice (25% cooked) and stir well. Add water just enough to cover the rice . Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp ghee and Cover tightly with a lid. Dum process: Heat a thick iron tawa and place the biryani vessel over it. Reduce the flame to the minimum and leave for 1 hour to get it completely cooked . Chettinad chicken biryani is ready! Serving suggestions: Serve chicken biryani hot with onion raitha and egg curry or any gravy. Serves 4 adults. As it is a spicy-hot biryani version, they generally pair it up with curd rice a nd kheer.