Description
Chicken Biryani is one of the most famous Indian dishes. The unique mix of spices, rice, meat and veggies will blow your mind!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 6 cloves Garlic, Crushed
- 2 Inch Ginger, Finely Grated
- 3 Green Chilies, Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ½ teaspoons Turmeric
- 1 pound Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs, Cut In Half
- 1-¼ cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 Onions, Thinly Sliced
- 10 whole Cloves
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 5 Green Cardamom Pods, Bashed With A Rolling Pin
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Tomatoes, Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Basmati Rice, Soaked In Cold Water For About 1 Hour
- ½ cups Melted Ghee, Divided
- 1 pinch Saffron Soaked In 4 Tablespoons Warm Milk For 10 Minutes (optional)
- ¼ cups Cashew Nuts, Toasted
Preparation
Combine yogurt, garlic, ginger, chilies, chili powder, ground coriander, and turmeric in a big bowl. Add the chicken pieces, coat them in the marinade and set aside for 1 hour.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan. Add onions and fry for 10–5 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Set aside.
Remove all the oil from a pan, leaving about 3 tablespoons. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cumin and fry them for 1 minute. Now add chicken with all the marinade and juices and bring to a simmer. Add tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked.
Drain soaked rice and cook for 5–7 minutes, adding about 1 teaspoon salt for every quart of water. Drain well.
Take a deep, heavy pot. Add 3 tablespoons of water and half the ghee. Now start making the layers by adding 1/3 rice first. If you made saffron milk, add 1/3 of it now. Spread the half of the chicken mixture and 1/3 of fried onions. Now repeat the layer. Top with the remaining rice and saffron milk (if using). Drizzle remaining half of the ghee around the edges. You should still have 1/3 of fried onions—set them aside, we will need them.
Cover with a nice fitting lid. Cook over a very low heat for about 30 minutes. Serve in a plate, topped with remaining fried onions and toasted cashews.
