Slow-Cooked Chicken Biryani

by

Description

This is a variation on two of my favorite biryani recipes, adjusted to fit my family’s preferences and time limitations. Biryani can be a time-consuming dish, but this is an easy way to make it from scratch. The end result is packed full of flavor and can be spicy. Best eaten with yogurt or Indian raita.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups basmati rice
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 4 pods black cardamom
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup fat-free yogurt
  • 4 green chile peppers
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground chile pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 pods green cardamom
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Place basmati rice in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water. Let soak
  2. about 30 minutes. Drain.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cinnamon sticks
  4. 8 cloves
  5. and 4 black cardamom pods; fry until fragrant
  6. about 1 minute. Add onions; cook and stir until lightly browned
  7. about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger-garlic paste; cook until fragrant
  8. about 1 minute. Sprinkle mint and cilantro on top; cook 1 minute more.
  9. Stir chicken into the skillet; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until chicken is browned
  10. about 20 minutes. Stir in yogurt
  11. green chile peppers
  12. lemon juice
  13. remaining 2 tablespoons oil
  14. chile pepper
  15. and turmeric. Cook until oil begins to separate from the sauce
  16. 10 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
  17. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt
  18. cumin
  19. 2 green cardamom pods
  20. 2 cloves
  21. and bay leaves; boil for 1 minute. Add drained rice. Bring water back up to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain
  22. reserving whole spices in the rice.
  23. Spoon chicken mixture into a slow cooker. Top with partially cooked rice; mix together.
  24. Cook on High until rice is tender
  25. about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs 21 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 6 mins

Servings: 8

Leave a Comment