RecipeTin Eats’ Chicken Biryani

Manageability – Complicated, but oh-so worth it.

Chicken and rice are like Food 101. Ninety percent of all meals, recipes, and “Top Chef” winning dishes either have chicken, rice, or both. I’m pretty sure when the first fish-like being emerged from the oceans millions of years ago and began to live on dry land, they were eating chicken and rice. So how do you make “basic” into “greatness”? Spice that dish up. And make RecipeTin Eats’ Chicken Biryani.

I know what you’re thinking. “But Martha, you’re a world-class chef with a flawless pallet and impeccable cooking skills, why would you think this is complicated?” First, thank you for the compliment. I’m humbled. But second, there’s just no denying that traditional Indian cuisine tends to have a lot of spices and a lot of steps. Which isn’t a bad thing in this dish AT ALL, don’t get me wrong. I have to tell you the manageability, because that’s just kinda my thing. But the marinade for this chicken is absolutely spectacular – you get a lot of the ginger and turmeric, and PLEASE don’t skimp on the marsala. But that, mixed in with the seasoned basmati rice, plus you got the saffron on there so it’s not too dry? Throw some crispy onions on there… I mean…. I mean damn. You’re supposed flip it upside down and serve it on a big plate (I been seeing that on my TikTok), but I didn’t do that. Seems risky.

Well crap, now I’m hungry again having to write this review of such a delicious meal. I wonder if I can find some biryani on GrubHub…

Ingredients

• 750g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs , skin on, bone in, halved along bone

MARINADE:

• 2/3 cup (150 ml) yoghurt , plain
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
• 6 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust spiciness to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp garam marsala 
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp paprika , sweet / ordinary (not smoked)
• 1 3/4 tsp salt

PAR BOILED RICE:

• 2 tbsp salt
• 10 cloves (that’s a lot of cloves!)
• 5 dried bay leaves (that’s a lot of bay leaves!)
• 1 star anise (that’s… not bad)
• 6 green cardamon pods
• 2 1/4 cups (450g) uncooked basmati rice 

CRISPY ONIONS:

• 2 medium onions (yellow, brown) , halved and finely sliced
• 1 cup (250 ml) oil , for frying

SAFFRON:

• 1 tsp saffron threads (loosely packed)
• 2 tbsp warm water

BIRYANI:

• 1 cup coriander / cilantro , chopped like the tv show
• 1/4 cup (60g) ghee or unsalted butter, melted

GARNISH:

• Crispy onions – the ones you made before
• Chopped coriander / cilantro
• Yoghurt
• Did you know that “gogurt” is just yoghurt?

Instructions

1. Mix Marinade in a large pot (about 26cm / 11″ diameter). Add chicken and coat well. Marinade 20 minutes to overnight, if your nighttime only lasts 20 minutes.

PAR BOILED RICE:

1. Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts water to the boil, add salt and spices. Like literally, all the spices.
2. Add rice, bring back up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked still a bit firm in the middle. Rice will taste salty at this stage, disappears in next stage of cooking… the saltiness, that is. Not the rice itself.
3. Drain immediately. Set aside. Leave whole spices in, kid.

CRISPY ONIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook onion, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t burn – they become bitter and jealous like teenagers.
2. Remove onto paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining onion.

SAFFRON:

1. Place in a bowl, leave for 10 minutes+.
2. Why is this an instruction?

BIRYANI:

1. Place pot with chicken in it onto a stove over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Remove lid. Cook for 5 minutes, turning chicken twice.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Turn chicken so skin side is down – it should cover most of the base of the pot.
5. Scatter over half the onion then half the coriander.
6. Top with all the rice. Gently pat down and flatten surface. This is so good I’m getting hungry just re-reading the recipe right now.
7. Drizzle saffron across rice surface in random pattern.
8. Place lid on. Return to stove, over medium heat.
9. As soon as you see steam, turn down to low then cook for 25 minutes.
10. Remove from stove, rest with lid on for 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

1. Aim to serve it so you get nice patches of yellow rice, white rice, the curry stained rice + chicken (rather than all mixed up). To do this, use a large spoon and dig deep into the pot, and try to scoop up as much as you can in one scoop.
2. Or don’t do that at all. I don’t really care. Serve it however you want.
3. Turn out into bowl – or onto platter. Garnish with remaining onion and coriander with yoghurt (or gogurt) on the side