Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Layered rice, one pot, 1 hr 15, serves 6
Ingredients
The marinade chicken thighs 800g, boneless, in chunks yoghurt 200g garlic 6 cloves, crushed ginger thumb, grated garam masala 2 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp The rice basmati rice 400g cinnamon stick 1 cardamom pods 6 bay leaves 2 To layer onions 3, thinly sliced ghee or butter 75g saffron pinch, in 3 tbsp warm milk coriander handful, chopped mint handful, chopped
The traditional one is goat, or lamb as the usual substitute. Chicken is the modern version, an hour instead of three and a third of the price.
The rice is deliberately undercooked before layering. It finishes in the steam.
Recipe
1. Mix and leave 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge:
[chicken thighs 800g in chunks, yoghurt 200g, garlic 6 cloves crushed, ginger thumb grated, garam masala 2 tsp, ground turmeric 1 tsp, ground cumin 2 tsp, chilli powder 1 tsp]
2. Fry the onions in the ghee until deep brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Lift two thirds out.
Same rule as mujadara. Brown, not golden.
3. Tip the marinated chicken into the pot with the remaining onions. Cook 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile boil the rice in plenty of salted water for 5 minutes only, then drain:
[basmati rice 400g, cinnamon stick 1, cardamom pods 6, bay leaves 2]
Five minutes. It should still have a hard bite. It cooks the rest of the way in step 6.
5. Spread the rice over the chicken, then scatter over the top:
[fried onions two thirds, coriander handful, mint handful, saffron milk 3 tbsp]
Don’t stir. The layers are the point.
6. Lid on tight, lowest possible heat, 25 minutes. Or 160°C in the oven.
If the lid is loose, put foil under it. All the steam has to stay in.
7. Rest 10 minutes, then dig down and fork it through from the bottom.
❄ Freezer
Freeze: cool fully, freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Reheat: from frozen, covered, with a splash of water so the rice steams rather than dries.