Indian Chicken Biryani

PREP TIME: 30 mins. COOK TIME: 1h10mins. Serves : 6-8
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade:
- 1 pound (450-500g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
- 1 cup (250ml) plain yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-2/12 inch (6cm) ginger, finely grated
- 3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
For the fried onions:
- 1¼ cup (300ml) vegetable oil
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 10 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 green cardamom pods, bashed with a rolling pin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the rice:
- 3 cups (600g) basmati rice, soaked in cold water for about 1 hour
- 1 teaspoon salt per litre/quart of cooking water
For the assembly:
- ½ cup (100g) ghee, melted
- Pinch of saffron soaked in 4 tablespoons warm milk for 10 minutes (optional)
- ¼ cup (40g) cashew nuts, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the marinade ingredients, add the chicken pieces, coat, and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet until hot and add onions. Fry for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Set aside.
- Remove the oil from a pan leaving about 3 tablespoons of it. Add the whole cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, bay leaves, cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken together with the marinade, bring to a simmer, and stir in the tomatoes and salt. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. The sauce should be really dry by this stage.
- Drain the soaked rice. In a large pot, bring salted water to boil. Add the rice and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the rice is just tender, but still firm. Drain well.
- Now to the assembly. Take a deep, heavy based pot. Pour 3 tablespoons of water and add half the ghee into it. Now add ⅓ of the rice. If you have the saffron milk, sprinkle over about ⅓ of it. Spread the half of the chicken mixture and ⅓ of the fried onions. Now repeat the layer with another ⅓ of the rice, ⅓ of the saffron milk, the rest of the chicken, and another ⅓ of the fried onions. Top with the remaining rice and remaining saffron milk. Don't use the remaining fried onions for now, set them aside. Drizzle the remaining ghee around the edges.
- Cover with a well-fitting lid. Cook over a very low heat for 30 minutes. Serve in a large plate, topped with the rest of the fried onions and toasted cashews. Enjoy!
Source : cookingtheglobe.com