Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Chicken Biryani

I love the combination of rice and chicken. It just works! This is a relatively easy one pot recipe for a chicken biryani that you can make at home. It only sounds daunting – if you follow the steps, it is actually quite straight forward! The history of biryani in India is very interesting and there are many many versions – some vegetarian like my Paneer Biryani and some non-vegetarian (the options vary by switching the protein, varying the spices, and also by cooking method). I have simplified this recipe and made it low sodium as well so we can all enjoy this classic and iconic dish!

Chicken Biryani topped with roasted cashews, golden raisins and cilantro

Ingredients

  • Air Chilled Organic Chicken Thighs (typically around 65mg sodium per 4 oz)
  • 4 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt
  • Spices for the marinade: Turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, juice of a lemon
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 inch ginger, minced
  • 4 clove garlic, crushed
  • A large potato, cubed
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • About 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • Whole spices – 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 5 cardamom, 5 black peppercorns
  • Powdered spices – 1 tsp each turmeric, chili powder, garam masala
  • 1 cup of Basmati rice – washed
  • 2 1/4 cups of water (I like to have it ready in my handy kettle so I don’t have to wait for it to come to a boil!)
  • A generous handful of cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of roasted cashews and sultanas (golden raisins)

Method

The day before you want to make this chicken biryani:

  • Mix in all the spices for the marinade into the Greek yogurt along with the juice of a lemon.
  • Pour all over the chicken thighs to completely coat the chicken.
  • Let the chicken marinate overnight in a air-tight container in the fridge.

The next day:

  • Wash and drain the basmati rice and set aside.
  • Start with a nice, large, heavy bottom pot with a lid that can seal in all the steam (as in not loose fitting), over medium-high heat.
  • Heat a couple of tablespoons of a neutral oil in the pot (I used canola oil) and brown the marinated chicken till you get a light golden brown crust on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.
  • In the same pot, sauté the onions in the same oil, till a nice dark golden brown. Add in the ginger, garlic, and the whole spices. Now add in the tomato paste. After a minute, add in the potatoes, the tomatoes, the carrots, and peas. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the flavor!
  • Now add in the powdered spices. You should be getting all the right aromas in your kitchen!
  • Nestle the chicken thighs back into the vegetable mix in the pot.
  • Sprinkle half the cilantro over the chicken.
  • Now sprinkle the rice all over the chicken and vegetables to form a layer on top.
  • Pour the water into the pot. Careful if using boiling water!
  • Once the water starts to boil gently, lower the heat all the way to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and let the biryani cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat but DO NOT OPEN THE POT for at least another 15 minutes!

Getting it ready:

  • At this point you can quickly open the pot, top the biryani with the cashews, sultanas and the remaining chopped cilantro.
  • Close the lid again and let it rest till you are ready to plate.

The Chicken Biryani is now ready to plate and enjoy. Just check out that color!! This is a dish made with love and not to be rushed. Since there was no salt added to this dish, remember to Salt The Plate! We like it with some No Salt Added potato chips and plain yogurt. So good!