Oonu ready: Chicken biriyani- Mamma's style

I have had many disputes over the ideal biriyani. I have friends who have drawn a line between North Indian and South Indian biriyanis and within South India I have friends who claim Hyderabadi is superior to Kozhikodan or Andhra biriyani. Frankly I dont mind which one is ideal as long as it tastes good. For that matter I don't even know which genre my biriyani belongs too except for its been made at home for 25 plus years. This is a tedious job not making the biriyani but blogging it. I don't follow all of mama's rules but this time when she was here I observed her to write this post to perfection. I had some pics of my biriyani from easter and mom again made it on May4 for my bro's bday so the pics are a mix from both. Try guessing which one's from easter and which one's from May 4 :)

Now in the same oil saute ginger garlic minced. Now some use paste but mamma loves the fresh aroma so she minces them. When the ginger garlic turns brown add the chillies and saute well. To this add the powders and tomatoes a little later. Add salt now.

When well sauted you will see oil coming out of the gravy that's mamma's test which I am always impatient to follow. Now add yoghurt followed by half of fried onions. Into this gravy add the chicken pieces and cook in slow fire. Yoghurt makes it succulent. Don't make it too tangy because we already got tomatoes. Now soak the basmati for 30 minutes in water. Boil water with whole spices. When the water starts boiling, add the soaked rice and cook it half way.

This is because we don't want over cooked rice when we add it to the chicken gravy. Drain the rice when it's half done. If the chicken has cooked well take it off from the fire. If you intend colouring rice separate them into three or two plates. I used green and saffron so it was more like Indian flag. Once the rice is coloured, transfer 3/4th of the curry from the kadai to a bowl. Now you start layering. You have 1/4th of the curry in the kadai on to this add one colour rice topped with a little of the fried onions you had kept aside initially. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves on top of this. So your first layer is done. Now pour a second helping of the curry ypu have kept aside in the bowl. Add the next layer of coloured or plain rice followed by onions and coriander leaves again. Continue this process and you might get three layers. For me they were three colours green, saffron and white rice. Now cook your layered biriyani for 15 minutes on slowest fire. So your half cooked rice will be perfectly cooked.