Photo credit: G. Drakopoulos - Food Styling: T. Webb
Biryani is a celebratory dish in Indian cuisine. They make it for weddings, births and large family gatherings. It is a super delicious chicken that originally takes a very long time to cook and uses a variety of cookware. We have tried to make it in an easier way, but just as delicious!
- Pat the chicken dry with some paper towels. Coat with some olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place the cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and ginger in a cheese cloth. Tie ends with some kitchen twine, securely. Place in a pot filled with 2 liters of water. Bring water to a boil and allow aromatics to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pack of aromatics and discard. The water should have taken on a beautiful color.
- Heat a heavy pan and add the butter. When it melts, add the onion. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Add the chili and garlic. Sauté until golden and release their aromas. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and transfer to a bowl. Wipe down pan and place back on heat.
- Brown chicken in pan on all sides. Remove from pan and transfer to a bowl. Set aside to cool. When cool, remove and discard skin. Since the chicken will be boiled, the skin will lose its crispiness and become quite tough, so it is better to remove it.
- Bring the water to a boil, again. Add the rice along with a generous amount of salt. Boil for 5 minutes. Reserve 250 g of broth and drain. Transfer rice to a bowl and add the saffron and raisins. Mix.
- It is now time to combine all of the ingredients and complete our dish.
- Spread half of the rice on the bottom of a narrow pot (about 20 cm).
- Spread half the onion nicely over the rice. Then add the chicken thighs along with all their juices. Over that, add the mint, cilantro and the remaining onion. Top with the rest of the rice.
- Add the reserved broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for ½ an hour, until the chicken and rice are done.
- Remove from heat. Mix and serve with mint finely chopped!