Chicken Biryani
INGREDIENTS
Fried Onions
- 3 large red onions, sliced thin
- 200ml peanut oil for frying (about 3/4 inch)
Marinated Chicken
- 2-3 lb chicken thighs, skin off
- 4 Tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 3 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 green chili, sliced thin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 cardamom pod, smashed with the flat side of a knife
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 bunch mint, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/3 of the fried onions
Rice
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 lbs aged basmati rice
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 green chili, sliced lengthways in half
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Saffron Milk
- 1 Cup milk
- large pinch of Saffron OR 1/4 tsp Turmeric
__Final Dish_
- 1/2 bunch mint, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- Remaining fried onions
METHOD
Fry the Onions
1. Heat up the oil in a saucepan over a medium high heat.
2. Fry the sliced onions in batches until golden brown.
3. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Marinate the Chicken
1. Add the chicken, all of the "Marinated Chicken" ingredients into a large cast iron pot. The same one you will cook the finished dish in.
2. Mix well and marinate for 4-24 hours
Prepare the Rice
1. Rinse the rise twice.
2. Leave the rice to soak in water for 40 minutes.
3. Place a large pot half full of water on high heat to boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, add all of the ingredients under "Rice" to the pot.
5. Stir once and cook for 6-8 minutes or until it's just cooked. You still want a bit of bite in the rice. (It'll finish cooking later)
6. Remove the rice from the water and set aside.
Saffron Milk
1. Warm the milk. Don't let it boil.
2. Add the saffron (or turmeric) and stir to combine.
3. Set aside to steep.
Preparing the Final Dish
1. Remove the marinating chicken pot from the fridge.
2. Place the pot on high heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
3. Remove half of the chicken and half of the sauce to a plate.
4. Spread the remaining chicken pieces evenly on the bottom of the pan.
5. Gently sprinkle half of the rice on top of the chicken in the pot. (Make sure the cinnamon sticks go in the pot as well)
6. Next, add a layer of half of the remaining the fried onions, mint, and cilantro.
7. Place the rest of the chicken and sauce from the reserve plate on top of the herbs.
8. Top the second chicken layer with the rest of the rice, crispy onions, mint, and cilantro.
9. Finally, drizzle the saffron milk over the top.
10. Seal the pot by placing a clean tea towel over the pot but under the lid.
11. Place the pot on medium high heat for 10 minutes, then turn it down to very low for 30 minutes.
12. Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes before taking the lid off and serving.