Chicken biryani
Make this mouth-watering dish tonight! Infused with Indian flavours like cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, this classic dish is served with basmati rice and homemade onion pachadi on top.
SERVES
4
Ingredients
Onion Pachadi
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- Salt, to taste
Chicken Biryani
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 star anise
- 6 cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cloves
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated
- 6 Thai green chilis, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 of a whole chicken, breast and thigh cut into large pieces
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/4 cup chopped coriander
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Onion Pachadi
- Combine yogurt, sweet onions, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside for serving.
Chicken Biryani
- Rinse the rice until water runs clear. Then soak for 20 minutes in room temperature water. This prevents the grains from breaking while they cook.
- In a medium dutch oven, heat oil and ghee on medium-high heat. When hot, add all spices including cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves and saute until cloves puff.
- Add onions, and saute until they soften. Then add garlic, ginger, and chillis. Cook for two to three minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, and cook for two minutes until slightly softened, followed by chicken.
- Season with salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, stirring often to coat the chicken, and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Add the water and broth, return heat to high, and bring to a boil.
- Drain the rice in a colander, and add to the pot. Gently stir, adding chopped mint, coriander, and lemon juice. Return to a simmer, then drop the heat to low.
- Cover the pot with aluminum foil and lid, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed.
- Serve hot with onion pachadi. Enjoy!
