Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

• 7 oz basmati rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 shallots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon fresh root ginger, grated
• 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• About 12 cardamom remove the black seeds from the shells
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup plain yoghurt
• 2 teaspoon caster sugar (optional)
• 4 handfuls raisins (optional)


• Wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in lukewarm water with the salt for 30 minutes.
• Now drain the rice completely and place it in a pan. Add in enough cold water so that it comes up to an inch above the level of the rice.
• Bring to the boil, and then turn of heat and allow the water to become absorbed.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots, onions, garlic and ginger and fry until golden-brown. Remove a tablespoonful and set aside.
• Add the chicken to the frying pan and stir fry for four minutes. Next, add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and nutmeg and stir for a minute.
• Butter a fairly large casserole dish, place spoonfuls of cooked rice, and chicken mixture into the dish. Sprinkle saved shallots, onions and garlic mixture on the top and add sliced tomato. Cover with foil otherwise like me you will end up with rice crispies and cook in the oven for about 30 mins till everything is piping hot. The aroma is so authentic it will make your house smell like an Indian Restaurant.

Re: Chicken Biryani

This looks just fabulous and I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. Only problem is, where and when does the yoghurt go please? There's no mention of it in the "method"

Thanks