1. Wash and soak 750 grams of basmati rice for about 20 minutes.
2. Soak a pinch of saffron strands in 3 tablespoons of hot water.
3. In a bowl, add 2 tbsp of Pillai’s Homemade Madurai Mandi Masala, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, 2 tbsp oil, salt, and saffron water. Mix them well. Coat five chicken legs with this paste and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil in the pan and shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces.
5. In another pan, add 3 tbsp of oil, 1 tbsp ghee, 1 cinnamon stick, bay leaf, 3 largely sliced onions, green chillies, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp Pillai’s Homemade Madurai Mandi Masala, add 1 ½ – 2 litres of water, salt, and lemon juice.
6. Once it boils, add the soaked basmati rice. Cook it until the rice and water are level. Cover the pot and seal it tightly. Place the pot on a preheated tawa for 10 minutes on a low flame.
7. After 10 minutes, turn off the flame and let it rest for 10 minutes. Open the pot and create small gaps using a thin stick. Place the chicken on top of the rice and place a bowl with a piece of hot charcoal in the middle. Pour some ghee over it and seal the pot immediately. Let it smoke for 5 minutes.
Now, the delicious Madurai-style Mandi Biryani is ready.