Chicken Biryani

Recipe by Neil, Aug 2023

Notes: You can substitute the olive oil for ghee. I’ve done it before and I preferred the texture from using olive oil. Maybe try 50/50. For marinade, you can do spices and lemon juice. I try to avoid putting yogurt in until the end of the cooking process but, that’s my preference

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds of Chicken or ~6 chicken thighs

  • 4 White Onions

  • 3 Cups of Rice

  • 5 Cloves

  • 2 tsp. Cardamom seeds

  • 2 Sticks of cinnamon

  • 4 Bay Leaves

  • Saffron

  • 6 Chilies, minced

  • 2 Tbps. Ginger, minced

  • 3 Garlic cloves

  • 1 tsp Chili Powder

  • 1 tsp Turmeric

  • 1 Tomato chopped

  • 3 lemons

  • 3 Tbps Yogurt

  • 1 Bunch Cilantro

Directions

  • Prep Chicken, set aside.

  • Prep ginger, tomato, garlic, chilies and juice lemons.

  • Slice 3,4 white onions very thin.

  • In big pan, heat 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil to medium, when hot add 5 cloves, 2 tsp cardamom  seeds,  wait till they pop, add 2 sticks cinnamon,  and 4 bay leaves, don’t over brown. ~2 minutes.

  • Add onions, pinch of saffron for color, minced chilis, cook over medium-high until transparent ~10-12 minutes.

  • Make hole in middle, add 2 Tablespoons chopped ginger, cook until aromatic ~1 minute and add to onions, 

  • Make hole in middle of pan add 3 cloves garlic,  chopped…add 1 tsp  chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 chopped tomato, mix, add meat and salt to taste…cook til 3/4 cooked. Remove from heat

  • When cooled add 3 tablespoons plain yogurt,  2 tablespoons lemon juice, mix, can leave to marinate at this point and add chopped coriander leaves.

  • Remove excess oil at this point, set aside…and excess gravy. should have enough up to meat level.

  • Start cooking rice, wash, 2,3 cups,  boil for 4 minutes with wedges of lemon and salt. Drain when just about cooked, no hardness. quickly put on top of heated meat, pour excess oils over rice with saffron, paper towel under lid…bake 350 for 20 minutes