Authentic Chicken Biryani
This chicken biryani recipe comes courtesy of our friend Baz who got it from his Mum. Baz and his family are Indian, so you can’t get much more authentic than that! This is one of the best Indian dishes we have ever cooked! Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients or the list of steps to cook it, it is well worth it!
Authentic Chicken Biryani
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 870kcal
Ingredients
- 675 g Chicken one the bone is best but you can use cubes instead if you prefer
- 3 large Red Onions thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 10 Peppercorns
- 5 Cloves
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 3 Star Anise
- 4 Green Cardamoms
- 1 tbsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala more if you like it hot
- 3 green Chillies
- 2 cloves Garlic grated
- 25 mm Root Ginger grated
- 200 g Natural Yoghurt
- 1 tin Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 large Potato cut into small cubes (no more than 1cm)
- 1 pinch Saffron soaked in boiling water
- 400 g Basmati Rice
- 5 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter plus a little more to finish the dish
- Coriander Leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Wash the rice three times, then soak for 30 minutes, wash again and soak for another 30 minutes. Wash once more before cooking
- Reserve one bay leaf, half a cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 3 peppercorns for the water you will cook the rice in later
- Put 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add some of the whole spices (a bay leaf, 2 cloves, a peppercorn, 1 star anise, ½ cinnamon)
- Cook the chicken in the pan with the whole spices until just cooked and coloured. Season the chicken when it is cooked and set aside to cool
- In a frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil, fry the onions until golden and then drain on kitchen paper
- In the same frying pan add 1 tbsp of oil and then fry the potatoes cubes and drain on kitchen paper
- When the chicken has cooled completely, add the natural yoghurt and half the fried onions, mix well and set aside
- In a large pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and the butter and add all the remaining whole spices, chillies, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and make a thick gravy sauce. Add the cumin, garam masala, coriander powder and turmeric. Taste and adjust as necessary
- Keep cooking the gravy on a medium heat until the oil separates 45- 50 min). Add more butter if it looks dry (or a drop of water) or a little pasata to thicken if necessary, keep and eye on it and don’t let it stick
- Add the marinated chicken to the gravy and mix well
- In a separate pan boil water adding the reserved spices. Add the rice, bring back to the boil and cook the rice for 3 minutes and drain
- Now to put it all together. A layer of meat, then rice, then more meat and finally top with rice. Add the saffron onto the top layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the fried onions and add a little butter
- Cover with a tight lid and steam on a very low heat for 10 minutes, then leave for 5 minutes without removing the lid
- Serve immediately by carefully spooning a mix of rice and meat onto a plate and garnish with some fresh coriander leaves
Nutrition
Calories: 870kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 271IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 7mg