Other options:

• My Heart Beets recipe for instant pot
• Josh Weissman (includes Raita & Chutni

Chicken Biryani (instant pot)

MARINADE:

1.1 lbs chicken
3 Tbps plain yogurt
1 in ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or paprika)
2 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp lemon juice

WHOLE SPICES: (optional)

1 Bay Leaf
4 green cardamoms
6 cloves
1 in cinnamon
1 star anise
3/4 tsp shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
1 strand mace

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

2 cu basmati rice
2 Tbsp ghee
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cu mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cu cilantro, finely chopped (not in original recipe)
1 green chili (slit or chopped)
1/4 cu plain yogurt (Indian curd)
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
3 cu water
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fried onions (optional)
1 pinch saffron (soak in 2 Tbsp hot milk) (optional)

PREP:

• To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice, and red chili powder
• Mix up well and taste the marinade
• Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade & mix well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to overnight.
• Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
• Add whole spices: bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, shahi jeera & mace. Skip them if you do not have.
• When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions & fry them evenly stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
• Add chicken & saute until pale for 5 mins on a medium heat.
• Cover & cook on a low flame until the chicken is soft cooked or tender. Saute to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
• Taste test and add more salt if needed. Add yogurt (curd), half of the chopped mint leaves, slit green chili, red chili powder & garam masala.

LAYERING:

• Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom. (check video)
• Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
• To a separate pot, pour water. If cooking in a pot use more water.
• Add salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty. Bring this to a rolling boil.
• Pour 2 cups of this water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice. (check video)
• Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle the rest of the mint leaves. Optionally add fried onions & saffron soaked milk if using.
• Set instant pot to 4 minutes on high pressure, then natural release.
• Rest until the pressure drops naturally. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork.
• Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from the bottom layer.
• Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies, papad and shorba (biryani gravy).

Notes:

I added cilantro.
The original recipe was for a pressure cooker, and said "Set the flame to medium high. Cover & place the whistle. Cook until you hear 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further. "

Raita

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cu curd (chilled fresh plain yogurt) (I use 600 g)
• 1 cu cucumbers
• 4 - 8 Tbsp onion, finely chopped (I use 70g diced cucumber + onion)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 - 4 green chilies (serrano peppers, deseeded   chopped)
• 2 Tbsp coriander leaves (fine chopped cilantro)
• 1 tsp cumin powder (or cumin seeds, optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Wash cucumbers, onion. Chop
• Add yogurt and salt and ingredients. Mix
• Garnish with cumin