Chicken Biryani

Name: Chicken Biryani
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 300g chicken thigh fillet, skin off, diced; 2 brown onions, thinly sliced; 1½ tablespoons ghee; 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil; 200g basmati rice; Pinch saffron threads; ½ cup thick natural yoghurt; ¼ cup chopped coriander; ¼ cup chopped mint; 1 long green chilli, seeded and chopped; 2 teaspoons grated ginger; 2 teaspoons crushed garlic; 1½ teaspoons garam masala; 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder; 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric; Churri, for serving

Biryani is a festive Indian one-pot rice dish. Unlike a simple pilau, the rice is partially cooked then layered with the seasoned meat to finish cooking. Well caramelised onions are key to a successful biryani – cook them long and slow until they’re golden – patience is the secret ingredient. If you’re cooking this chicken biryani in a traditional earthenware pot (pictured), soak it first in cold water for at least 30 minutes to reduce the chance of it cracking from the heat. Serve plenty of churri on the side (see video below) to refresh your palate between mouthfuls of aromatic chicken biryani. I like a soft chilled red wine with this dish, like the Canvas Nouveau from Juniper in Margaret River. A blend of shiraz, cab sav, and tempranillo made in the style of Beaujolais, it’s juicy and tangy with a little spice and works beautifully with the sweetness of the caramelised onions in this chicken biryani.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

300g chicken thigh fillet, skin off, diced
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
Salt flakes, to taste
1½ tablespoons ghee
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
200g basmati rice
Pinch saffron threads
½ cup thick natural yoghurt
¼ cup chopped coriander
¼ cup chopped mint
1 long green chilli, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1½ teaspoons garam masala
1½ teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
Churri, for serving

Method

Remove chicken from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking so it can come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 240°C.
In a large lidded flameproof dish, heat ghee and oil over low-medium heat. Add onion with a good pinch of salt and cook uncovered, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown.
Strain onion, reserving the oil, and set onion and oil aside separately to cool.
Meanwhile, wash rice under cold water until it runs clear, place in a bowl, cover with cold water and set aside for about 20 minutes.
Soak saffron in 2 teaspoons of warm water for about 10 minutes.
Combine yoghurt, coriander, mint, green chilli, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, onion, chicken and saffron mixture and mix well.
Spread in the base of the dish, gently compressing it.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Drain rice, add to the water and boil for 7 minutes.
Drain rice and spread evenly over the chicken.
Pour reserved oil evenly over the rice.
Cover tightly with the lid, sealing the edges with crushed foil if it’s not a tight fit so that steam can’t escape.
Place over medium heat for 3 minutes, then transfer to oven.
Reduce oven temperature to 200°C and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes.
Turn chicken biryani out onto a large platter and serve with Churri on the side.