Cracked Wheat Biriyani

Ingredients
Cracked Wheat - 2 cups (You could also use rava instead)
Chicken - 1/2 lb (1/4 kg or little lesser)
(Alternatively, you could also use 1 cup of chopped assorted vegetables or 1 cup of shrimp)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Tomato - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Green Chillies - 2
Biriyani Masala - 1 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
Chilly Powder - 1 tsp (or as needed)
Mint leaves - handful
Cilantro - handful
Whole Garam Masala - (1 bay leaf, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, 3 cardamon)
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Water - 3.5 cups (exact measure for craked wheat)
If you are making biriyani with rava, use just 2.5 cups of water.
Ghee/Oil - 2 tblsp
Salt - as needed

Method
1. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, salt, fennel powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder.
2. Roast the cracked wheat in some ghee/ oil. This step id optional but adds a nice nutty flavour and helps keep the grains seperate without forming lumps.
3. Heat 1 tblsp of oil/ghee in a pan and add the whole garam masala to it.
4. Saute the onions and green chillies till it turns golden brown.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till the tomatoes become nice and mushy.
6. Add chopped mint leaves and cilantro (corriander leaves) and saute for a minute.
7. Next add the marinated chicken, cover and let it cook in the marinated liquid until the chicken is completely cooked.
8. Add 3.5 cups of water, required salt and bring it to a boil.
9. Add the cracked wheat to this and bring it to a boil once again.
10. Reduce the flame to the lowest setting, cover with a lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Do not mix in between
11. Fluff up with a fork and keep covered for another 5 minutes.

12. Garnish with chopped cilantro, toasted nuts and raisins and serve with raita.



Tips

- You could also make vegetable cracked wheat biriyani, mushroom craked wheat biriyani or shrimp craked wheat biriyani.

- Instead of cracked wheat, you could use rava to make rava biriyani or grits to make grits biriyani too.