For
a long time, I thought that making a great biryani at home was really
difficult, if not impossible. What I learned is that preparing a biryani
can be a bit laborious, but it is definitely within the reach of any
home cook. It's laborious because it's a multi-step preparation: you
cook the chicken in a sauce, boil the rice, then the two in a pot, seal
them together to keep the steam in, and combine the flavors
In
the end, remember that making biryani might be time-consuming, but it
certainly is not difficult. Once you make it a couple of times, you will
realize that, effectively, all you are doing is preparing chicken curry
and rice, but you are combining them and taking them to the next level
of deliciousness.
If you simply follow this recipe, you'll love the results.Prep Time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
200g basmati rice
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 shallots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh root ginger, grated
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced into strips
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
250g plain yogurt
4 handfuls raisins
Instructions:
1.
Wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear
and then leave to soak in warm water with the salt for 30 minutes.
2. Drain the rice and place in a pan with enough cold water to come about 2cm above the top of the rice.
3.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to as low as possible,
cover and cook for about ten minutes, and all of the water has been
absorbed.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add
the shallots, onions, garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes
until golden-brown. Remove a tablespoon and set aside for garnishing.
6. Add the chicken and stir-fry for five minutes.
7.
Add the spices and stir for one minute, then stir in the yogurt and
simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, raisins and rice. Cover the pan
with a clean tea towel and then cover with a lid (this will hold in all
the steam)
8. Place over a very low heat and cook for ten minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for five minutes.
9. Serve large spoonfuls, garnished with the reserved shallot and onion mixture.
