Description
This is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very 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, always use long grain rice. Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use. Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pinch powdered saffron
- 5 pods cardamom
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pound basmati rice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Meanwhile
- make the rice: Wash rice well and drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Servings: 7