Kolkata Biryani

Get ready: Whisk the curd and mix it with the chicken, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While it marinates, rinse the rice, soak it in 600 ml water for 20 minutes and drain it; peel and cut the potatoes, slice the onion, slit the chillies and chop the coriander leaves. Warm the milk on low flame for 1 minute until lukewarm, stir in the saffron and keep it aside.

CurdChickenGinger Garlic PasteSaltTurmeric PowderRed Chilli PowderLemon JuiceMilkSaffron

Boil the eggs in 1000 ml water for 10 minutes until the yolks are firm. Cool and peel them.

EggsWater

Heat the oil in a kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the potatoes and salt, then fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until lightly golden and almost cooked. Remove them from the kadai.

OilPotatoSalt

Bring 2500 ml water, salt, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin to a rolling boil on high flame for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the drained rice and boil for 6 to 7 minutes until the grains are about 70 percent cooked and still slightly firm in the centre. Drain the rice.

WaterWaterSaltBay LeavesCinnamonGreen CardamomClovesCuminBasmati Rice

Heat the oil in a heavy pot on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Fry the onion for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden and crisp. Take out half of this birista and keep it on a plate for layering. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies to the pot, then fry for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add the marinated chicken, garam masala, pepper, salt and water; cover and cook on medium-low flame for 20 minutes until there is no pink meat near the bone, the juices run clear and the gravy is thick. Add the fried potatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they are soft.

OilOnionGinger Garlic PasteGreen ChilliGaram Masala PowderBlack Pepper PowderSaltWater

Spread the cooked rice over the chicken and potatoes. Place the boiled eggs on top, scatter the reserved birista, then pour over the melted ghee, saffron milk and kewra water. Add the coriander leaves.

GheeKewra WaterCoriander Leaves

Cover the pot tightly and cook on low flame for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and steam rises when the lid is opened. Turn off the flame and rest it covered for 10 minutes. Gently lift the rice from the bottom without mashing the grains.