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Chicken and rosewater biryani

 A world-renowned Indian dish, biryani is a special occasion dish flavoured with a selection of exotic spices such as saffron and is layered with meat, rice, fried onions, rosewater, cashew nuts.  It is then cooked covered over low heat until the entire dish is permeated with total deliciousness. There are several main types of biryani, and they are also specific to a certain community. This recipe is not for a specific region but has a combination of flavors representing many of the regions.

AA SNAG

For the chicken marinade:
1 cup natural yogurt
6 garlic cloves, finely crushed
6cm/2½in piece ginger, finely grated
3 green chillies, finely chopped, with seeds
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
500g/1lb 2oz chicken thighs, cut in half
salt

The drumettes we were discussing for Chicken wing confit used for the Vaul-au-vent with confit chicken wings, is ideal to use for this dish.

For the crisp fried onions:
¾ cup vegetable oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced

For the sauce:
10 whole cloves
6cm/2½in piece cinnamon stick
5 green cardamom pods, bruised in a pestle and mortar
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken stock

For the rice:
600g/1lb 5oz Basmati rice
salt

To assemble:
½ cup ghee
pinch saffron soaked in 4 tablespoons warm milk for 15 minutes
2 teaspoons rosewater
2 tablespoons cashew nuts and 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios, roasted and chopped
raita, to serve
fresh coriander, picked

  • In a shallow bowl large enough to contain all the chicken pieces, combine all the marinade ingredients.
  • Toss to coat well and then set aside to marinate for an hour.
  • For the crisp fried onions, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy bottom saucepan  over a medium heat until hot.
  • Add the onions and fry for 10–15 minutes, or until deep golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.
  • Pour off the oil but leave about three tablespoons in the pan.

For the sauce:

  • Add the whole spices to the pan and fry for one minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and the stock and bring to the boil.
  • Boil until the sauce is reduced to about ½ cup.
  • Strain the sauce and discard the pulp.  Set aside

For the chicken:

  • Heat a little oil in the wiped saucepan, then add the chicken and its marinade.
  • Bring to a simmer, then stir in the tomatoes sauce.
  • Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is clinging to the chicken.

 

If it cooks dry, add a splash of water to the pan. It is, however, important that the sauce is almost dry by this stage and just coating the chicken.

Meanwhile cook the rice.

  • For the rice, cook until done but still firm in the middle.
  • Drain well.

Assemble the biryani while the rice is still hot:

You are aiming for five layers: rice, rosewater, saffron, chicken, crispy onion, cashew nuts, and repeat layers ending with rice on top.  Reserve some onions and nuts to sprinkle on top.
  • First pour about three tablespoons of water and half of the ghee into a deep, heavy-based cooking pot or casserole, then start the layering.
  • Drizzle the remaining ghee around the edges of the rice so that it drips down the inside of the pan.
  • Cover with a well-fitting lid and put over a high heat to get the ghee hot and some steam going. As soon as you see steam rising, turn down to a very low heat and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Spoon out onto a large serving platter and scatter with the rest of the crisp onions and toasted cashews and pistachios.
  • Serve with raita and fresh coriander.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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