Chicken Biriani
Submitted by tadacov
Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs cook right on top of basmati rice with curry, cardamom, and cinnamon in this one-pot chicken biriani. Fragrant, hands-off, and endlessly satisfying.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
55 minREADY
9 hrsThere’s something deeply comforting about lifting the lid on a pot of biriani and getting hit with that rush of cardamom, cinnamon, and golden turmeric steam.
This recipe keeps things straightforward. Chicken thighs get slathered in a yogurt-curry marinade (the longer you let them sit, the better) then nestle into basmati rice to cook together in one pot.
The caramelized onions on top bring a sweet crunch that pulls the whole thing together.
Serve it with a generous squeeze of lemon and scattered fresh coriander for brightness.
Kitchen Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can. The yogurt tenderizes the meat while the spices sink in deep.
- Brown the onions slowly and thoroughly. Rushing this step robs you of the sweet, nutty flavor that makes biriani special.
- Resist the urge to lift the lid while the rice cooks. That trapped steam is doing all the heavy lifting.
- Save half the fried onions for garnish. Their crispy texture on top of the soft rice is what biriani is all about.
Ingredients
Directions
Thinly slice 1 onion and set it aside.
Cut the other onion into chunks, then purée it to a paste with the garlic, gingerroot, curry powder, turmeric and yogurt.
If you do not have a blender or food processor, then grate the onion and gingerroot and mix with the other ingrededients.
Add plenty of seasoning, then spoon this mixture over the chicken thighs, spreading it evenly over them and turning to coat all sides.
Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours, the longer the better.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or flameproof casserole.
Add the sliced onion, bay leaves and cardamoms, then cook, stirring often, until browned-about 20 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove half the onion from the pan and reserve for garnih.
Push the rest of the onion to one side.
Add chicken portions, reserving the juices from marinating and brown them all over.
Add the rice to the pan, sprinkling it down between the chicken.
Tuck the cinnamon stick in between the chicken, then scrape all the marinating juice into the pan.
Pour in 3 ¾ cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover pan tightly.
Leave to gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water and the chicken is tender.
The biriani should be moist.
Transfer the birmani to a serving dish, or serve it from the cooking pan, sprinkling the reserved onion over and addin flavor.
Add lemon wedges for garnish-their juice should be squeezed over before the birani is eaten.
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