Chicken biryani

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

1 cup = 240 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. Use metric quantities where stated. Times and servings are indicative.

• 500 g skinless chicken in large pieces
• 3 tbsp yogurt for marinade and 60 ml for the pot
• 1 1/4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2–1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tbsp garam masala for marinade and 1 tsp for the pot
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided and adjustable
• 2 cups aged basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee and 1 large sliced onion
• 1 Indian bay leaf, 4 cardamom pods, 6 cloves and 2.5 cm cinnamon
• 1 star anise, 3/4 tsp caraway or cumin seeds and 1 blade mace
• 1/4 cup chopped mint and 1 green chilli
• 840 ml water for cooking in a pot
• 2 tbsp fried onion and saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk, optional

Step-by-step method

1. Coat chicken with 3 tbsp yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli, marinade garam masala, lemon and half a teaspoon of salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Rinse rice and soak for the final 30 minutes of marinating; drain thoroughly.
3. Heat ghee in a heavy pot, add whole spices, then onion. Cook until onion is evenly golden.
4. Add chicken and marinade, fry for 5 minutes, then cover and cook gently until chicken is tender. Evaporate excess liquid.
5. Stir in remaining yogurt, half the mint, green chilli and remaining garam masala. Spread chicken over the base and cover with rice.
6. Boil water with remaining salt and pour carefully around the edges and over the rice. Add remaining mint and optional toppings.
7. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until rice absorbs the water and cooks. If still firm and dry, add a little boiling water.
8. Rest for a few minutes, fluff carefully with a fork and serve rice and chicken from all layers.