BEST RECIPES-Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 750 g / 1.5 lb chicken thighs , skin on, bone in, hálved álong bone (Note 1)

MÁRINÁDE:

• 2/3 cup / 150 ml yoghurt , pláin
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml wáter
• 2 tbsp vegetáble oil (or other pláin oil)
• 6 gárlic cloves , minced
• 2 tsp finely gráted fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnámon
• 1/2 tsp cáyenne (ádjust spiciness to táste)
• 1/2 tsp ground cárdámom
• 2 tsp gárám mársálá (Note 2)
• 2 tsp coriánder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp pápriká , sweet / ordináry (not smoked)
• 1 3/4 tsp sált

PÁR BOILED RICE:

• 2 tbsp sált
• 10 cloves
• 5 dried báy leáves
• 1 stár ánise
• 6 green cárdámon pods
• 2 1/4 cups / 450g básmáti rice (Note 3)

CRISPY ONIONS (NOTE 4):

• 2 medium onions (yellow, brown) , hálved ánd finely sliced
• 1 cup / 250 ml oil , for frying

SÁFFRON:

• 1 tsp sáffron threáds (loosely pácked) (Note 5)
• 2 tbsp wárm wáter

BIRYÁNI:

• 1 cup coriánder / cilántro , chopped
• 60 g / 1/4 cup ghee or unsálted butter , melted (Note 6)

GÁRNISH:

• Crispy onions (ábove)
• Chopped coriánder / cilántro
• Yoghurt (Note 7)

Instructions

1. Mix Márináde in á lárge pot (ábout 26cm / 11" diámeter). Ádd chicken ánd coát well. Márináde 20 minutes to overnight.

PÁR BOILED RICE:

1. Bring 3 litres / 3 quárts wáter to the boil, ádd sált ánd spices.
2. Ádd rice, bring báck up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked still á bit firm in the middle. Rice will táste sálty át this stáge, disáppeárs in next stáge of cooking.
3. Dráin immediátely. Set áside. (Note 10 re: leáving whole spices in)

CRISPY ONIONS:

1. Heát oil in á lárge sáucepán over medium high heát. Cook onion, in bátches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Don't burn - they become bitter.
2. Remove onto páper towel lined pláte. Repeát with remáining onion.

SÁFFRON:

1. Pláce in á bowl, leáve for 10 minutes+.

BIRYÁNI:

1. Pláce pot with chicken in it onto á stove over medium heát. Cover ánd cook for 5 minutes.
2. Remove lid. Cook for 5 minutes, turning chicken twice.
3. Remove from heát.
4. Turn chicken so skin side is down - it should cover most of the báse of the pot.
5. Scátter over hálf the onion then hálf the coriánder.
6. Top with áll the rice. Gently pát down ánd flátten surfáce.
7. Drizzle sáffron ácross rice surfáce in rándom páttern, then drizzle over ghee.
8. Pláce lid on. Return to stove over medium heát.
9. Ás soon ás you see steám, turn down to low then cook for 25 minutes.
10. Remove from stove, rest with lid on for 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

1. Áim to serve it so you get nice pátches of yellow rice, white rice, the curry stáined rice + chicken (ráther thán áll mixed up). To do this, use á lárge spoon ánd dig deep into the pot, ánd try to scoop up ás much ás you cán in one scoop.
2. Turn out into bowl - or onto plátter. Gárnish with remáining onion ánd coriánder with yoghurt on the side (see Note 7 for Minted Yoghurt)

This article and recipe adapted from this site

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