When Shah Jahan shifted his capital to Delhi, his hakim declared in rage, ‘your kingdom will doom’. Delhi’s water was so polluted, that the Hakim had to suggest adding a lot of spices to the food to fight the contaminants. Not only did Delhi flourish in the coming years, somewhere, but it also forged a unique relationship with all things spicy and greasy. From the Muslims to Kayasthas, Baniyas and the Punjabis, Purani Dilli or Old Delhi has been house to various communities, the reflection of which can be traced in the food you see here. Despite having a Biryani shop in every nook and cranny of the city, many Delhites still do not mind taking a trip to Old Delhi to have a portion of the ‘Degi Biryani’.
This typical Old Delhi-style biryani is famous for the chilly pickle that is used in the preparation, which is layered in between the rice, meat and spices. The rice used is also long-grain, sella basmati rice, half of which are orange or yellow, and half white. Each grain is distinct, and the meat is so tender, that you can easily tear it off the bones, using just your fingers.
The Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, in their annual Dilli 6 festival showcased their Purani Dilli ki Murgh Degi Biryani by chef Surendra Tamta, which became one of the key highlights of the festival, and we fetched the recipe just for you.
Ingredients:
- Rice: 500 grams
- Green chillies- 4 to 5
- Bay Leaves-2
- Pepper Corn- 1 tsp
- Cloves- 6
- Cinnamon Sticks- 2
- Salt- 2tsp
- Chicken- 1 kg
- Ginger Garlic Paste- 2 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
- Fried Onions
- Salt to taste
- Chopped Coriander leaves- ½ cup
- Ginger (julienne)- 1/8 cup
- Green Chilli Pickle- 2 tbsp
- Rose Water- 1 tsp
- Kewara Water
Ingredients to Cook Chicken:
- Refined oil- ½ cup
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Cinnamon sticks- 2
- Black Cardamom- 1
- Green Cardamom- 4
- Star Anise-1
- Cloves and Black Pepper Corn
- Curd- ½ cup
Recipe:
- In a big vessel, add water and let it boil
- Once the water starts boiling, add green chillies, cloves, peppercorn, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and salt and give it a stir
- Add rice to the boiling water and let it boil until half cooked
- Drain the rice and keep it aside.
- Take a large bowl and add chicken in it and marinate it with ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and salt, mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
- To cook chicken, take a large pot and add refined oil.
- Add marinated chicken pieces followed by cinnamon sticks, black and green cardamom, bay leaves, star anise, cloves and black peppercorn.
- Mix the masala with the marinated chicken and add curd.
- Add curd, mix it well and cook it for at least 10-12 minutes on a high flame till the chicken id 3/4th done
- Switch back to low flame and add half the rice, spread it throughout the vessel and top it with fried onions, coriander leaves, ginger (julienne), green chilli pickle, rose water and kewra
- Now add the remaining rice over the toppings and spread it nicely
- Cover the vessel with a lid and let it cook completely for around 15-20 minutes over a low flame
- Serve hot with Salan and Raita