Chicken Biryani
Description
Chicken biryani is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish that's typically
reserved for special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays such
as Ramadan. It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth
it. For biryani, basmati rice is the ideal variety to use.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks
Rice:
- 1 pound basmati rice
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 pods cardamom
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch powdered saffron
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
-
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Fry potatoes in hot oil
until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a paper
towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
-
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add onions, garlic,
and fresh ginger; cook and stir until onion is soft and golden. Add
tomatoes, salt, cumin, chili powder, pepper, and turmeric; cook,
stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
-
Stir in yogurt, mint, ground cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Cover and
cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are cooked to
a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if mixture becomes
too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
-
Add chicken and stir well to coat. Cover and cook over very low heat
until chicken is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little
very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary
cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
-
Meanwhile, make the rice: Wash rice well and drain in a colander for at
least 30 minutes.
-
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion; cook and stir until golden. Add
cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, ground ginger, and saffron; stir
in rice until coated with spices.
-
Heat stock and salt in a medium pot until hot; pour over rice and stir
well.
-
Add chicken mixture and potatoes; stir gently to combine. Bring to a
boil.
-
Reduce heat to very low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam for
20 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring.
- Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.