Biryani

Name: Biryani
Prep time: 240 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 265 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mughlai (Delhi & Lahore)
Ingredients: 1 tbsp saffron; 4 tsp milk; 2 hot green chili peppers; 2 large onions; 8 clove garlic; 0.25 tsp clove; 8 whole peppercorns; 0.5 tsp cardamom seed; 1 tsp coriander seed; 1 tsp cumin seed; 0.25 tsp poppy seed; 0.25 tsp mace; 0.5 cup cilantro; 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice; 2 cup plain yogurt; 3 lb boneless chicken; salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp ghee; 1 onion; 8 large tomatoes; 2 cup basmati rice; 0.333 cup raisins; 0.333 cup cashews; 0.333 cup almonds; 6 eggs

Chicken, poppy seed and yogurt simmered on the stove and spiced with saffron and clove for a South Asian biryani.

4 hr 25 min · Serves 6 · Takes some skill

Method

Start cooking mode

Time: Prep 240 min · Cook 25 min · 265 min total
Difficulty: hard

1
Soak saffron in warm milk for 5 minutes and puree in blender. Add chiles, onions, ginger, garlic, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, coriander and cumin seeds, poppy seeds, nutmeg, mace, cilantro or mint leaves and lemon juice. Blend into smooth paste. Put paste into large bowl, add yogurt and mix well.
5 min
2
Marinate chicken in yogurt mixture with salt, covered for at least 2 - 6 hours in refrigerator.
360 min
3
In skillet. heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add ghee and 15 seconds later add onion and fry for about8 minutes.
4
Reserve for garnish. In same skillet, cook chicken with its marinade with tomatoes for about 10 minutes over medium heat, uncovered.
10 min
5
Remove chicken pieces from the sauce and set aside. Add rice to sauce, bring to boil, and cook, covered over low heat for 15 minutes.
15 min
6
Return chicken and add raisins, cashews and almonds; mix well. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
5 min
7
Place chicken, eggs and rice in large serving dish in such a way that yellow of the eggs, the saffron-colored rice, the nuts and the chicken make a colorful display. Add reserved onion as garnish.