Indian Chicken Biryani
Serves 4
Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats
¾ pounds chicken thighs
⅓ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup water, plus 1 tablespoon for saffron
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 1 cup for onion frying
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, plus ½ teaspoon for rice
1-1½ teaspoon garam masala
1-1½ teaspoon ground coriander
1-1½ tablespoons cumin
1-1½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
5 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 star anise
1 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, halved and cut into thin slices
½ teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
¼ cup ghee or unsalted butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom, garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix everything together well until well incorporated and you no longer see any white from the yogurt. Marinade at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Fill a medium pot with water and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt, whole cloves, bay leaves, star anise, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, and rice. Bring everything back to a boil and let it cook for 4 minutes. Drain immediately and set aside. You can discard the whole spices if you like, but you don’t have to.
To make make the crispy onions, heat a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of oil and let it get heat up. Once hot, add the onions and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure you don’t leave them in too long or they’ll get dark, burnt, and bitter. Put them on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
In a small bowl, add the saffron and combine with 1 tablespoon of warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Heat a large pot, Dutch oven, or thick-walled pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the marinaded chicken to the pot. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes, turning twice. Remove from heat.
Scatter the chicken pieces along the bottom of the pot so that it forms an evenly thick layer of chicken. Sprinkle half of the crispy onions and fresh cilantro over top of the chicken. The remainder of the onions and cilantro will be used for garnish, so leave as much or as little for garnish as you see fit.
Add all of the rice over top the chicken, onions, and cilantro. Gently pat down the rice and flatten the surface.
Randomly drizzle the saffron over the rice, followed by the melted ghee.
Put the lid back on the pot and return it to the stove. Turn the heat up to medium heat. As soon as you see steam come from the pot, turn down heat to low and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Garnish with remaining crispy onions and cilantro.
Enjoy!
