Biryani is a rice based dish that originated in Iran which means ‘fried’ or ‘roasted’. There are many different types of this curry depending on what spices and meats are used. I served the chicken biryani on its own as it can be a substantial meal, but ideally a smaller portion accompanied by a salad and naan bread would have been better. With that in mind this recipe would feed five to six people.
Don’t feel too put off by the long list of ingredients – a lot of these will last years and if like me, you discover you love biryani then it’s an investment! Perfect comfort food after a long cold winter’s day…yum yum!
Ingredients
5 green cardamom pods
300g basmati rice
25g butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
4 breasts or thighs of boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
75 g raisins
800 ml chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped coriander
4 tbsp flaked almonds
Method
Firstly peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. You can leave the onion chunky if you wish. Set to one side.
Chop up the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks and leave to one side for the moment.
Place the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, the bay leaf and the cinnamon stick all in one bowl.
Chop up the fresh coriander and set aside as you won’t need this till the very end.
Remove the cardamom seeds from the pods by placing them onto a chopping board and crushing them with the flat side of a knife. Remove the seeds and discard the pods. Crush the seeds with a pestle and mortar – I didn’t have one so I used the back of a wooden spoon. Add the crushed seeds to the bowl containing the spices.
Rinse the rice and place in a heat proof bowl. Cover the rice with boiling water, add a pinch of salt and cover the bowl with a lid.
Melt the butter in a large pot until it begins to foam. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and the bowl of all the spices. Mix well.
Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. The onion should be soft and browned – if it’s not then keep cooking!
Add the chopped up chicken pieces and fry for three minutes or until the chicken looks nearly cooked – it will cook fully later on.
Drain the rice and rinse under cold water. Add to the pot with the raisins and the stock. Season with salt and pepper – I only added a pinch.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes or until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the chopped coriander and flaked almonds.
Serve!
