Cultivate Flavors

Cultivate Flavors

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Chicken Biryani in 11 Steps


My sister gave me the first edition of Mark Twain's 'The Innocent Abroad', photographed above, as a baby shower present; to remind me the lasting impression a mother can have on an individual's life. The readers of the travel book will know that Mark Twain dedicated this travelogue to his mother. 


Although, I am not a writer, but in my own humble ways, this biryani recipe is my homage to my very own loving mother. Biryani is a staple in Pakistani households. The Pakistani diaspora is incapable of having a celebratory dinner without the grand presence of this aromatic rice dish. South Asian grocery stores are laden with Biryani spice blends. In this recipe, I am using two types of pre-boxed Biryani spice blends, Sindhi Biryani Masala for the marinade, and Bombay Biryani Masala for the curry. The Sindhi one has dried plums, and the Bombay one has nutmeg. The combination of two results in more aromatic and flavorful Biryani. So let's get cooking.

Chicken Biryani
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
Marinade
2 pounds of whole chicken pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of Sindhi Biryani Masala
Curry
4-5 tablespoons of ghee or grape seed oil
1 large onion
2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of grated garlic (about 1 garlic bulb)
2 tablespoons of Bombay Biryani Masala
3 large tomatoes (diced)
1 cup of full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon of saffron strands (soaked in 1 cup of warm water)
Juice of 2 limes
1 bunch of cilantro 
Rice
2 and 1/2 cups of basmati rice (soaked for at least half an hour)
8 cups of water
1 tablespoon of salt


Step 1: In a mixing bowl, marinate chicken in lemon juice. Mix in turmeric, garlic powder, and Sindhi Biryani Masala.

Step 2: In the meanwhile, in a skillet over high heat, add ghee or oil. Saute the onions until they start to turn golden. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute until the garlic has a golden hue. Mix in Bombay Biryani Masala.

Step 3: Add the chicken. Cook 1 minute on each side, or until the chicken pieces have a nice golden sear.

Step 4: Turn the flame down to medium. Add tomatoes and yogurt. Add, saffron strands soaked in 1 cup of water. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the chicken is tender about 20 minutes.

Step 5: In the meanwhile, in a saucepan bring 8 cups of water to a boil, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the rice once the water is boiling. Cook until the rice is done, about 6 minutes. Drain the rice using a colander. Cover with damp paper towel so the rice does not dry out. Set aside.

Step 6: Your chicken should be done. Uncover and cook on high-heat until the curry has reduced, and the liquid has been absorbed. Add juice of two limes, while the curry is reducing. Followed with chopped cilantro leaves. Gently stir the curry preventing it from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Be careful as you don't want to break the chicken pieces.

Step 7: Turn off the stove once the curry has reduced.



For the assembly:
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the nonstick spray on the bottom of a roasting pan, which has a lid.

Step 9: Using a spatula divide the rice into three equal parts, and the chicken curry into two.

Step 10: Start layering the biryani with the first layer of rice, followed by chicken curry. Then a second layer of rice followed by the second and last portion of the curry. Finish with the last and third layer of rice. Cover with a damp paper towel, so the rice on the top does not get crusty. Cover the lid, and place the roasting pan in the oven for 30 minutes.

Step 11: Take out the pan from the oven, and remove the lid. The damp paper towels, should be dry now. Gently mix, until the rice and chicken pieces are well-incorporated.

Serve with plain yogurt or raita.

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