Chicken biryani
Many people make a mutton biryani, but a chicken version is lower in fat and quicker to cook.
Ready in
2 hours 45 mins, plus 1 hour marinating time or overnightServing size
Serves 8Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 chicken breasts on the bone, skin and all fat removed
- 1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric
- 2 tsp (10 ml) each cumin seeds and chilli powder
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh coriander
- 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup (250 ml) plain low-fat yoghurt or buttermilk
Rice
- 2 cups (500 ml) uncooked brown rice
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 cup (250 ml) uncooked brown lentils
- 3 potatoes, cubed
- 1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric
- 2 tsp (10 ml) sunflower oil
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
Method
- Marinade: Cut chicken breasts into chunky pieces. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
- Stir chicken into marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- Rice: Place rice, ½ tsp of the salt, cinnamon and cardamom with enough water in a pot. Simmer until the rice is cooked and drain.
- Meanwhile, cook lentils in a separate pot with enough water until tender and drain.
- Boil potatoes with the rest of the salt and a pinch of the turmeric until tender. Drain
- Heat oil in a large pot and fry onions until tender. Keep half the onions for garnish.
- Add chicken to onions in the pot and fry for a few minutes. Add marinade, reduce heat and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Place potatoes in a layer over the chicken. Spoon the lentils and rice in layers on top.
- Mix the turmeric with the boiling water and pour over the rice.
- Spoon the fried onions on top. Cover with a lid and steam over a very low heat for 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve with fresh coriander, a spoonful of plain low-fat yoghurt and salad.
This recipe is from Cooking from the heart, 1st edition
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