Chicken biryani

Name: Chicken biryani
Cook time: 127 min
Total time: 127 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 60 ml Milk; 250 g Yoghurt; 4 u Onion; 6 cloves Garlic; Salt; 3 u Green Chilli; 2 teaspoons Chilli Powder; 150 ml Vegetable Oil; 1 piece Ginger; 1 handful Coriander; 2 leaves Bay Leaf; 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice; 1 u Cinnamon Stick; 1 handful Mint; 6 u Cardamom; 1 pinch Saffron; 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds; 1 kg Chicken Thighs; 0.5 teaspoons Turmeric; 4 u Cloves; 500 g Basmati Rice; 2 teaspoons Garam Masala; 3 tablespoons Ghee

Biryani de pollo

Hard

Contains allergens

Leche

Incomplete allergen information: some ingredients have not been reviewed yet. Always check the labels before cooking.

Author: Equipo Cocinoa
Preparation time: 2 hr
Servings: 6

Summary

Basmati rice scented with saffron and whole spices, layered over yoghurt-marinated chicken and finished in its own steam in a tightly sealed pot, the dum method. A celebration dish that, with a little organisation, turns out perfectly at home.

Ingredients

6 servings

Add to Bring!

60 ml Milk (warm)
250 g Yoghurt (plain whole-milk)
4 u Onion (large, thinly sliced)
6 cloves Garlic
Salt (to taste)
3 u Green Chilli (chopped)
2 teaspoons Chilli Powder (ideally Kashmiri)
150 ml Vegetable Oil
1 piece Ginger (about 4 cm)
1 handful Coriander (fresh)
2 leaves Bay Leaf
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 u Cinnamon Stick
1 handful Mint (leaves only)
6 u Cardamom (green pods)
1 pinch Saffron (threads)
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 kg Chicken Thighs (bone-in and skinless)
0.5 teaspoons Turmeric
4 u Cloves
500 g Basmati Rice
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
3 tablespoons Ghee (or butter)

Instructions

Crush or grate the garlic and ginger to a paste. In a large bowl, mix it with the yoghurt, green chilli, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt and half the chopped mint and coriander. Slash the chicken, coat it well in the mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
10 min
Wash the rice under the tap, rubbing it between your fingers, until the water runs almost clear, then soak it for half an hour. Put the saffron threads in the warm milk to release their colour.
30 min
Meanwhile, fry the onions in the oil over a medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown all over. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, spread them on kitchen paper to crisp up and keep the oil.
25 min
Bring about 3 litres of water to the boil with the whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay and cumin) and plenty of salt: it should taste almost as salty as seawater. Add the drained rice and cook until a grain breaks under your fingernail but is still firm in the centre. Drain at once.
7 min
In a heavy-based pot with a good lid, heat 3 tablespoons of the onion-frying oil and add the chicken with all its marinade and half the fried onions. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the chicken no longer looks raw on the outside and the sauce has thickened a little.
12 min
Spread the rice over the top without pressing it down. Drizzle with the saffron milk, scatter over the rest of the mint, coriander and fried onions and dot with the ghee.
5 min
Seal the pot with foil and press the lid on firmly. Cook for 3 minutes over a medium-high heat, then for 25 minutes on the lowest setting, on a heat diffuser if your hob runs hot. Do not lift the lid.
28 min
Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes, still covered. Serve by digging a large spoon down to the bottom at one side, so each portion has white rice, saffron-tinted rice and chicken.
10 min

Notes

Biryani reached India with the cooking of the Mughal courts, and today every region has its own. This version follows the pakki method, where the chicken is part-cooked before the rice goes on top: easier to control at home than kacchi, which starts with raw meat. Two keys: the rice should be 70% cooked, still firm in the centre, and the pot must be well sealed so everything finishes in its own steam. When serving, check that the chicken next to the bone is no longer pink. Shop-bought crispy onions are fine. Serve with a yoghurt and cucumber raita. Cool any leftovers and refrigerate them within an hour, then reheat until piping hot.