Guntur Gongura Biryani: A recipe from Andhra Pradesh

Cut whole chicken into 8 pieces and marinate the chicken with ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, amchur or dry mango powder, gram flour, salt and lemon juice. Keep this overnight in refrigerator.

Heat oil and ghee or clarified butter in a pot or a handi. In it, add bay leaves followed by onions and sauté until translucent. Then, add ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a while. To this add the chopped tomatoes.

Next, add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, followed by gongura paste and chopped coriander stem. Mix well until cooked, and keep aside.

Deep fry the marinated chicken and to this add the gravy and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat and keep aside.

Butter Rice

Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour.

Boil water in a pot along with green cardamom, bay leaves and cloves. Then, add the soaked rice and cook for 5 to 7 minutes and strain.

Melt butter in another pot with cream and 100 ml water, and boil on low heat for 5 minutes to make a mix.

In a pot add half of the rice, butter cream mix, mint leaves and caramelised onions and continue the same process for a second layer.

Cover tightly with a silver foil and cook on low heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Final Steps

In a pot, add a layer of butter rice, topped with chicken masala and do the same process 2 more times. Layer it with 30 grams of ghee or clarified butter and steam cook or dum for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and mix gently. Garnish with mint leaves, caramelised onions and ginger julienne.

Serve with raita or yoghurt mix and pickle of your choice.