South Indian biryani and tomato jam

1 lb basmati or samba rice wash and soak for 1/2 hour

1 lb chicken

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Marinate the chicken with lemon juice and salt.

grind to paste

1/2 tbsp ginger

2 tbsp garlic

1 tbsp water

grind to paste

6 tbsp cilantro

3 tbsp mint

2 green chillie

1 tbsp water

roast and powder

1 tbsp fennel

1" cinnamon

4 cardamom

6 cloves

1/2 to 1 tbsp peppercorns

tempering ingredients

1" cinnamon

1 star anise (can replace with 1/8 tsp of aniseed)

1 tbsp cashew

1 tsp seaweed (known as kalpasi, black stone flower I didn't use this)

1/8 tsp nutmeg grated

1/8 tsp mace

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup onion

3/4 cup tomatoes

4 green chillie uncut

mix and leave aside

1 tbsp rose water

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp saffron

Warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds, put the saffron and leave it aside. Mix the rosewater into the milk mixture.

garnish

1 tbsp mint leaves

2 tbsp cilantro

2 green chillie

2 tbsp cashew

1 tbsp raisin

1 tbsp ghee

Prepare all the above before starting to make this biryani.

Heat oil and ghee together. Sauté the tempering ingredients. Then add the onion, ginger garlic paste, the mint cilantro paste, tomatoes, the roasted ground spices and chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups water and cook covered for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the water has absorbed and the chicken is almost cooked.

If the chicken is cooked and water hasn't absorbed remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and leave aside.

Add the soaked rice into the gravy and fry, the rice will swell a little. Add the meat and mix without breaking the meat apart. Add water about 1/2" above the rice and meat. Add salt if needed, and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.

There will be holes on top of the rice and the water would have almost absorbed, the rice will be more than half cooked.

Put 1 tbsp fresh mint, 2 tbsp cilantro about 2 uncut green chillie over the rice.

Sprinkle with the aromatic milk rose water mixture. Spread the cashew, raisin and ghee. Close tightly with a lid and seal it with flour.

Cook on low heat by placing the pan over a skillet for about 1/2 hour until the flour around it has cooked. Placing the rice pan over the skillet will avoid the rice from burning on the bottom.

This recipe is adapted from here, it is made with only a few spices and fresh ingredients. According to Viki's kitchen, it is made at Muslim weddings and served with other dishes and tomato jam.

Tomato jam

2 cups tomatoes

3 tbsp sugar more to taste

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp cashew nuts

1 tbsp raisin

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp rose water

Leave the tomatoes in boiling water, peel skin and puree. Mix the tomatoes with sugar and cardamom and cook on medium low heat until it is thick.

Heat ghee separately and fry the cashew nuts and raisins then add it to the cooked thick jam. Add rose water and mix.

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