Chicken biriani

---

Ready for the oven

Most of the liquid cooked off

The chicken pieces marinading - I wish the smell of this could be captured in a photograph!

The original (curry stained) recipe

Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a range of primarily South Asian rice-based foods made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat/vegetables. It was spread throughout the Middle East and South Asia (and Southeast Asia to an extent) by Muslim travellers and merchants, and is popular in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

The name is derived from the Persian word beryā(n) which means "fried" or "roasted".

This recipe comes from a hand-typed sheet, covered in curry stains, that has been with me since my first Indian cookery course. It's a bit of an involved recipe but well worth the effort. It is best to marinate the meat overnight so prepare this the day before.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, skinned and jointed - chop the breasts, separate the wings and legs and cut lots of slashes in the leg joints so the marinade can penetrate. I like to leave the bones in as I feel it gives more flavour - it's up to you.
• * You can of course use ready prepared chicken meat instead.
• 1 small carton of yogurt
• 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed in cold running water then drained well
• 2.5 cm (1") peeled ginger
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ cup coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes or ½ small tin of tomatoes, chopped
• Big pinch of saffron strands
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
• Handful of sliced almonds
• Handful of sultanas or raisins
• sea salt to taste

Leave whole and remove before serving or pick out while eating: {{RecipeIngredients

• 2.5 cm cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole cardamom pods (brown or white)
• 2 bay leaves

}}

Mise en place

• In a food processor, grind the ginger and garlic to a paste. Grind the whole spices in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Mix well into the yogurt and use to marinate the chicken, preferably overnight.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180° C (350° F - gas 4)

Method

1. Fry the onions in half of the oil, until golden, then remove half of the onions with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. Brown the remainder of the onions, stir in the meat and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on a low heat until the meat is cooked and tender. Add more liquid if needed, but by the time the meat is cooked, most of the liquid should have cooked off.
3. Add half of the chopped coriander or parsley, season with salt and set aside.
4. In a large pan of boiling water, cook the washed rice for 10 minutes only. Drain and reserve. The final cooking will be done in the oven.
5. Grease the base of a large oven-proof casserole with a little ghee.
6. Using the cooked rice, chicken, coriander, cooked onions, saffron and dabs of ghee, fill the casserole in layers.
7. Top with raisins or sultanas and sliced almonds, add a few dabs of ghee and cover with tin-foil
8. Cook for 17 minutes

Serving suggestions

Serve with a lentil curry or salad of your choice

Chef's notes

Use parsley if you cannot get coriander

See also

• Lamb biriani
• Get chicken pieces the economical way, joint the chicken yourself