Quick and Easy Chicken Biryani (using Shan Biryani Masala)

A rice delicacy originating in the royal Mughal kitchens, the irresistible Biryani has since rightfully held a firm place in its numerous forms within the South Asian cuisine.

Here’s my simplistic and time economic version on this mouth watering dish I prepared earlier. All the ingredients are easily found in the supermarket, with the masala popularly sourced in any Indian store.

This time round it was generously eaten by three of us, with decent leftovers for lunch. So I’d say this quantity should suffice for 4-6 people.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken pieces

3 C Basmati rice

1 packet Shan Bombay Biryani Masala (the other variants e.g. Chicken, Sindhi or the National brand work just as well)

1 C thick yoghurt (Premium Indian ones or Greek style work great)

2 T ginger-garlic paste 

2 tomatoes (I used tinned ones)

2 Green chillies

2 large onions, sliced thinly

Cashews, a handful

Apricots/Prunes

Half cup fresh mint (optional)

Half cup fresh coriander

1 C oil/ghee (I used ghee, that’s clarified butter)

Salt to taste

Yellow food colour (optional)

 

Method:

1.     In a large saucepan/wok, fry the onion and cashews until it is golden brown in the oil. Remove half the portion and set aside.

 

2.     Add the ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, tomatoes, chillies, chicken and Shan Masala. Fry this for 5 minutes.
Cook this covered on a medium heat until chicken is 1/2 done. Cover the chicken.

 

3.     Prepare some raita (the yoghurt-based salad that is served with the biriyani) as the chicken half cooks:

 

Quick Raita Recipe:

½ cucumber, chopped

¼ red onion

½ cup thick yoghurt

2 teaspoons sugar 

Beat the yoghurt, using a ¼ cup water. Add the sugar and cucumber and mix well. Store this in the fridge.

 

4.     Set the rice separately. Add salt to12 glasses of hot water and the rice. Boil until the rice is just very slightly cooked, about 1/3.

 

5.     In a large cooking pot, layer the rice, chicken and fried onion one by one. Sprinkle food colouring over the rice. Iuse yellow and orange. Feel free to omit this if you’re not into food colours.

 

 

6.     Add fresh mint, coriander and prunes to the top layer of rice.

7.     Cover with a lid and cook on a very low heat until the rice is completely soft, but not overcooked. This should take     around 30-40 minutes.

 

8.     When it’s cooked remove the pot from the heat. I transferred it to a white ovenproof dish to stop it from overcooking.

 

9.     Mix the biryani properly before serving on a plate. I served my biriyani with a sprinkling of the remaining cucumber and red onion from the raita on top of the plate.

 

Here it is dished out and ready to eat. - Lil Sis  J