Chicken biryani is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish that's typically reserved for special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays such as Ramadan. It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it. For biryani, basmati rice is the ideal variety to use.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil: 4 Tbsp (divided)
- potatoes: 4 small (halved)
- onions: 2 piece (chopped)
- garlic: 2 clove (minced)
- ginger root: 1 Tbsp (fresh; minced)
- medium tomatoes: 2 piece (chopped)
- salt: 1 tsp
- ground cumin: 1 tsp
- chili powder: 0.5 tsp
- ground black pepper: 0.5 tsp
- ground turmeric: 0.5 tsp
- plain yogurt: 2 Tbsp
- mint leaves: 2 Tbsp (fresh; chopped)
- ground cardamom: 0.5 tsp
- cinnamon stick: 1 piece (2 inch piece)
- boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks: 3 pound
- basmati rice: 1 pound
- vegetable oil: 2.5 Tbsp
- onion: 1 piece (diced)
- cardamom: 5 pods
- whole cloves: 3 piece
- cinnamon stick: 1 piece (1 inch piece)
- ground ginger: 0.5 tsp
- powdered saffron: 1 pinch
- chicken stock: 4 cups
- salt: 1.5 tsp
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Fry potatoes in hot oil until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
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Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add onions, garlic, and fresh ginger; cook and stir until onion is soft and golden. Add tomatoes, salt, cumin, chili powder, pepper, and turmeric; cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Stir in yogurt, mint, ground cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
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Add chicken and stir well to coat. Cover and cook over very low heat until chicken is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
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Meanwhile, make the rice: Wash rice well and drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes.
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Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion; cook and stir until golden. Add cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, ground ginger, and saffron; stir in rice until coated with spices.
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Heat stock and salt in a medium pot until hot; pour over rice and stir well. Add chicken mixture and potatoes; stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam for 20 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.
