Chicken Biryani

Name: Chicken Biryani
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 60mL vegetable oil, or ghee; 1 large onion, 1/4 inch sliced with mandolin; 1 inch cinnamon stick; 2 black cardamom; 3 bay leaves; 10 black peppercorns, 3 to toast, 7 whole to add to wet marinade; 5 whole cloves, 2 to toast, 3 whole to add to wet marinade; 3 dry chili peppers, hot; 1 tablespoon coriander seed, toast and grind; 1/2 tsp whole cumin, toast and grind; 0.5 tsp fennel seeds, toast and grind; 5 green cardamom pods, Smash open and take seeds into grinder; 1 piece of mace, into grinder after toasting other ingredients; 15 g salt, to season chicken and help with grinding; 1 tsp ground cinnamon, into grinder after toasting other ingredients; 1 tsp turmeric, into grinder after toasting other ingredients; 150g plain yogurt, add to blender with 1/3 caramelized onion, ground spices and following list (change yogurt in recipe based on experience); 30mL cup lemon juice, all in the blender, then puree and add spices and yogurt for a couple more pulses; 1 medium onion, large chucks, put into blender; 1 inch ginger, crushed add to blender; 6 cloves garlic, crushed add to blender; 1/2 spoon whole poppy seeds; 1kg chicken thighs, or drumsticks; stack in tall container; 1 tsp garam masala; 2 tsp Chili powder; 1/2 cup water, with gelatin or stock (if necessary); 1 Bunch of cilantro, chopped; 2 tbsp. Fresh mint, chopped; 2 green chilis, chopped; 400g basmati rice, parboil for max 7 min

20 steps

Researched Biryani recipe. Serve with Dahi chutney (http://recipe2cook.com/chutney-recipes/mint-yogurt-chutney-recipe.html)

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:50:00 GMT

Ingredients

5 servings

Instructions

Caramelize the onions (Day before)

Step 1

Mandolin slice half onions into crescents. Heat some fat over medium heat in Dutch oven. Caramelize onion for about 20-30 mins to a toffee colour with black cardamom and bay leaves.

Step 2

Divide onions into 1/3rds: 1/3 to puree for chicken marinade, 1/3 for garnish with strained oil, 1/3 with cardamom and bay leaves to stay in pot to cook spices in the next day. Stow away with the spice that'll go with it the next day.

Prepare the Marinade (Day before)

Step 3

Toast then grind/mix together dry marinade spices.

Step 4

Puree the onion, garlic, ginger, spices and caramelized onions in blender. Then add the yogurt and lemon juice and pulse to mix. Fold in the poppy seeds, rest of whole cloves and peppercorns.

Step 5

Layer chicken and marinade in tall container/zip lock bag, store overnight/at least 2 hours.

Make Chicken Gravy

Step 6

Preheat oven to 300F, wash rice, soak for 30 mins.

OvenPreheat

Step 7

Add 1/3 onion from day before. Bring up to heat and add garam masala and chili powder. Cook on low until the raw smell goes off.

Step 8

Pour chicken and marinade in Dutch oven.

Step 9

Add stock/water (you don't want it to be soupy so use your judgement how much to add), chopped cilantro, fresh mint and fresh green chilis (At least 1 chili with seeds still in it)

Step 10

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, and reduce marinade and chicken by half, stirring occasionally (q2min), for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat.

Parboil rice and rice garnish

Step 11

(Per above) Use a fine mesh strainer and wash until the water is clear, soak with 2in extra water for 30 min.

Step 12

Mortar and pestle a few strands of saffron, then soak them + more saffron strands in 60s microwaved milk. Add 1 teaspoon of rose water. Let soak for 10 mins. Set to the side.

Step 13

Bring pot of water, lemon juice, soaked rice, salt, cardamom pods and butter to a boil. Once it starts to bubble, bring it to a low for 6-8 minutes, until it's al dente (transverse view has outer translucent ring and inner opaque core). Drain in a colander.

Layer potatoes, rice and gravy. Then cook in oven

Step 14

Peel red potatoes and apple, cut into circular planks. Eat half the apple

Step 15

Remove biryani gravy momentarily from pot into large bowl, layer down apple and potatoes to cover bottom of pot, put the butter on the potatoes. Fry potatoes and apple until some colour develops.

Step 16

Then layer 1/4 of the rice to cover planks. Then pour back all the gravy and chicken. Layer on the very top the rest of the rice.

Step 17

Pour saffron/rose water milk, onion flavored oil, last 1/3 of onion, black cardamom and bay leaves over rice.

Step 18

Cover with 2 layers foil and cover lid and bake for 25-30 minutes