Home cooked chicken biriyani
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 6
Richly spiced rice spiked with dried fruits and herbs is combined with chunks of marinated chicken to make a biriyani the family will love. It's a great centrepiece for family gatherings.
Ingredients
For the marinaded chicken
- 1kg/2lb 4oz chicken thighs, bone-in and skin removed
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
- 5 tbsp plain natural yoghurt
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the biryani spice mix
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 heaped tsp turmeric
- 1 heaped tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 large handful mint leaves, sliced
For the rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cardamom pods
- 4cm/1½in cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 350g/12oz basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed in cold water
For the biriyani
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- pinch sea salt
- 1 large handful mint leaves, sliced
- 150g/5½oz dried fruit, such as dried cranberries
Method
First marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken, garlic, ginger, yoghurt, curry powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well to coat the chicken. Leave to marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours if you have time).
For the biryani spice mix, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
To make the rice, put 1.5 litres/2¾ pints water in a large cooking pot, along with the aromatics and the rinsed rice.
Bring to the boil and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until rice is 80% cooked (the rice will be translucent on the outside but still be solid in the centre).
Drain and rinse the rice under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Leave the rice and the spices in the sieve for later.
For the biriyani, put a large lidded saucepan over a low heat and add the ghee. Once melted, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions slowly for 10–12 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside while you cook the chicken.
Cook the chicken in the same pan over a medium–high heat. Fry for 3–4 minutes on each side until slightly browned (it doesn't need to be cooked through at this point).
Sprinkle 2 heaped tablespoons of your biriyani spice mix over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly.
Scatter the fried onions over the top and then add the shredded mint leaves. Put the drained rice on top of the chicken thighs in an even layer. Cover with a lid and cook on the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes to allow everything to steam.
When cooked, garnish with the shredded mint leaves and dried fruit. Serve immediately.
