Chicken Malai Seekh Kebab Biryani

1. In a pressure cooker add water, potatoes, salt, ghee, and biryani masala. Mix well. Give 2 whistles. Just half cook it, do not over boil the potatoes.
2. Once all the steam evaporates. Open the lid carefully and take out the potatoes and keep them aside.
3. In a heavy pan, add water let it boil a little then add whole spices like shahi Jeera, black cardamon, javitri/mace, cinnamon stick, salt to taste, bay leaf, and mix. Then add basmati rice. Mix well. Cook till 80% is reached (otherwise when assembling it could break if fully cooked).
4. Turn off gas and drain out water. Take out rice on a plate. Let it cool and keep it aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and fry potatoes till lightly golden brown. Take out and keep aside.
6. In the same pan fry 3 onion slices to make some Barista. Stir continuously to get evenly fried golden Barista.
7. Take out and keep aside. If possible spread on a plate to get better results.
8. Take another pan and add 4 tbsp oil and add onion slices. Saute for 3 minutes on medium flame. 
9. Add the cashews to it and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.
   
10. Add poppy seeds and saute for more than 3 minutes on medium flame.
11. Cook till onion becomes translucent, not brown. Turn off-gas. Let it cool and then transfer in a blender.
12. Now take a blender and add coriander, mint, and 10 green chilies. Grind into a coarse mixture. Keep aside.
13. Now add the cooked onion, cashew, and poppy seed mixture into a blender. Add 4 green chilies but that’s optional if you do not want it spicy. Grind into a smooth mixture. Keep it aside.
14. Now take the minced chicken in a large bowl and add coriander, mint leaves, green chilly paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, salt to taste, lemon juice, garam masala powder, and fresh cream. Mix well with washed hands nicely.
15. Now cover it and keep it overnight in the fridge for best results. (Note – However, you can add two tablespoons of cornflour and mix in a rush, then cover and let sit for two hours).
16. Heat 3 big spoons of oil in a pan on medium flame. Oil starts to smoke a little then add black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, shahi Jeera, and bay leaves. Saute for 1 minute on medium flame.
17. Now add the onion paste we prepared. Now saute for 2 minutes. Then pour water into the blender and take what is left. I have tried not to waste anything. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.
18. Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. Add plain yogurt and mix well.
19. Add salt to taste and black pepper powder. Mix well. Cook till oil separates from the masala. Once done gravy masala for biryani is ready. Keep aside.
20. I have soaked 10 bamboo skewers in water for half an hour so that it prevents burning while frying the seekh kebabs.
21. Now grease hands with oil and take a hand full of chicken mixture and insert bamboo skewers and give the shape of shahi kebab. Prepare all seekh kebabs like this.
22. Add 4 tbsp oil to a pan on medium flame. When oil smokes add 2 seekh kebabs at a time and fry till golden brown and evenly cooked from all sides.
23. After cooked from all sides evenly, take out on a plate. Same way to fry all the seekh kebabs. Then cut it into a diagonal shape but it’s optional. I shaped them to have good looks only.
24. Take a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Add gravy masala and saute for 2 minutes. Add fresh cream and saute for 1 minute.
25. Add water and mix well. Add all the fried seekh kebabs. Cook for 5 minutes. It will help the seekh kebabs to absorb the masalas. Take out on a plate. Keep aside. I have kept them in the pan in which I fried the seekh kebabs.
26. In a heavy bottom pan first spread rice, then seekh kebab gravy masala, barista and then repeat the same process again and then add potato, egg and then add rice, seekh kebab gravy masala, and barista. Add rose water and kewda water and sprinkle ghee. Add remaining fried potatoes and eggs.
27. Cover and cook on dum for 20 minutes on the lowest flame.
28. After 20 minutes open the lid and take out the biryani in a bowl.
29. Serve hot with raita and salad.

Important Suggestions To Keep In Mind

• Make biryanis or pulaos with aged long grain rice. The aged basmati rice will give you nice fluffy and fragrant biryani.
• Always marinate the chicken mince kebabs for at least 2 hours for the best flavor. I would recommend storing it overnight in the fridge.
• Make sure the pot is heavy-bottomed and that its lid is tight., since light bottom pots may burn biryani. A dutch oven works well for making biryani.
• To ensure perfect cooking of the rice, make sure not to stir the rice too much while they are cooking. Doing so will break the grains and biryani won’t look good.
• I would recommend you to marinate the chicken mince in spices for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will make the meat juicy, tender, and delicious.
• If you’re in a rush then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornflour to the chicken mince mixture and leave it for 2 hours so when you make the chicken mince kebab shape, it will hold its shape.
• If you grease your hands when shaping the seekh kebab with oil, it will prevent them from becoming sticky and holding their shape.