Chicken Biryani

First off - posting a recipe for a Biryani is similar to posting recipes for Paellas, Cassoulets and so on - there is always going to be huge disagreement. So I ask you to bear with me, and either try this, or go with your own recipe!

I can tell you that this particular recipe, which combines elements from Mr Stein, Kaushy Patel and myself did not disappoint - learned some lessons along the way which I shall incorporate into the method section!

I've made this Biryani with cumin infused rice - which I liked because it adds further caramalised onions into the finished dish, and I like onions. (I inadvertently ate too many of the crispy onions whilst cooking the rest of the dish so worked out for the best)



Chicken Biryani with cumin infused rice and hot mint raita


Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts/ 500g thighs etc

Marinade
250ml natural yoghurt
6 cloves (30g) garlic, finely pulped
6cm (30g) fresh root ginger, finely pulped
4 fresh green finger chillies, finely sliced in rounds, seeds left in
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp Dhania Jeera (or 1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin if you don't have this made - spice mix elsewhere on this blog)
1 tsp Tumeric

Crispy fried onions
300ml sunflower oil
3 medium red onions finely sliced, plus 3 echalion/ banana shallots finely sliced
10 whole cloves
6 cm piece cinnamon stick
8 green cardamom pods, bashed slighly with pestle but still intact
2 or 3 indian bay leaves - note that ordinary bay leaves are NOT a substitute - if you don't have these, try adding a tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt

Rice
300g Basmati rice
75ml sunflower oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
3 echalion shallots, finely sliced
1 tsp salt

To assemble
100g ghee, clarified butter or 100ml sunflower oil/ coconut oil
About 4 or 5 strands saffron soaked in 4 tbsp warmed milk for 15 mins
2 tsp rosewater
Handful plain cashew nuts, dry roasted in pan
Handful plain pistachio nuts, dry roasted in pan

Raita
250ml Natural Yoghurt
2 tbsp Hot Mint Jelly *See elsewhere on blog

Method

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, add in the chicken pieces and toss with your hands until thoroughly coated. Cover with cling film and marinate for at least an hour

Now make the onions: heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 10-15 mins or so until golden. Remove with slotted spoon and place on kitchen roll to drain. Set to one side and try not to eat them.
Pour most of the excess oil into a jug, leaving about 3 tbsp remaining in the pan.

Next, add the whole spices to the pan and fry for about a minute, then add the chicken with all its marinade, and ground cinnamon if you didn't have Indian bay leaves.

Bring to a simmer, then add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer over a medium heat for about 20 mins until the chicken is just cooked. Keep warm.

Now for the rice.
Rinse the rice twice in a sieve under warm water then drain. Heat the oil (use the left over oil from the onions) in a fairly large pan for a minute on medium heat then stir in the cumin seeds. Watch them carefully to ensure they don't burn - when they start turning brown, stir in the onions.
Increase the heat to high and cover the pan. Cook for 2 mins at a time, stirring each pause until the onions are dark brown but not burnt. This should take about 8 mins total.
Add in the rice, stir gently, add the salt and 900ml boiling water. Boil, uncovered for 7 mins until the rice begins to look dry, then place foil tucked round the edges of the rice within the pan, then put the lid on, turn the heat down to minimum and cook for further 7 mins. Remove from heat and you are then ready to assemble the next phase. (Do not allow to cool too much - you want to crack on at this point)

First put about 3 tbsp water and half the ghee/ butter/ oil in the bottom of a heavy casserole type pan, and spoon in about a third of the rice. Sprinkle over about a third of the saffron milk and rosewater, followed by half the chicken. (Note: If your chicken still has a fair amount of "sauce" still in the pan, use a slotted spoon to transfer into the casserole dish to ensure not too much liquid comes with it. This will make the rice too soggy).
Then add a a layer of about a third of the crispy onions. Repeat the above then finish with the last of the rice, splash over the remainng saffron milk and rosewater. Set aside the remaining onions though - you'll want them to garnish later.

Drizzle the remaining ghee/ oil around the edge of the pan (you may find it helpful to run a spatula around the edge first so the oil runs down the inside of the pan)
Put over a high heat until you can see steam rising from the water and ghee - then tuck foil around the edge of the rice, followed by the lid. Turn down the heat to minimum and cook for 30 mins.

Spoon out onto large platter, scatter with the remaining onions, the roasted nuts and some fresh chopped coriander. Serve with the raita.