Chicken Briyani

This was the most tricky recipe I have attempted thus far. One reason is because the original recipe, found here, was most likely written by a native Indian and they left out certain instructions and ingredient amounts, so I had to just wing it and hope that the recipe would turn out. And it was delicious! My children all had seconds AND thirds. We will definitely be making this again. So here is what I did in making this recipe.

My photo. Oh, and this makes great leftovers, too.

Chicken Briyani

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 8

1 cup plain yogurt (I used greek plain yogurt)

1 cup mint leaves, stems removed

1 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed

2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in small pieces

4 tablespoon garlic paste

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tablespoons garam masala powder

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4 cups basmati white rice

2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)*

1 large onion, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoon ground coriander seed

2 tablespoon garam masala

1 cup coconut milk

6 cups chicken broth

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Equipment

Electric skillet with lid

Food processor

HOW TO PREPARE: 

1. In a food processor, put in yogurt, mint leaves, and cilantro. Process until mixed well.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together chicken with yogurt mixture. Stir in garlic paste, ground ginger, and 2 tbsp garam masala. Cover with a lid or saran wrap. Let it rest in the refrigerator for for 4-6  hours or overnight. 

3. In a medium bowl, pour in basmati rice and cover with water. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap. Soak the basmati rice for 2-4 hours. Once done, drain and set aside.

4. Heat ghee / butter in a large electric skillet and cook minced onion until they are brown in color, about 10-12 minutes. 

5. Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander seed and 2 tbsp garam masala and saute for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

6. Add the chicken/yogurt mixture and let it cook for 15 minutes with the lid on, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cook on medium temperature.

7. Once the chicken is almost done cooking, add coconut milk and chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

8. Once you see the sauce bubbling, reduce the flame to low. Add the drained rice and cook covered for 15 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it rest for another 15 minutes - I followed these directions, but my rice still wasn't cooked through, so I added more water and raised the temperature and repeated this step and it worked beautifully. 

9. Using a fork, gently fluff out the rice and transfer to a fresh bowl. Gently mix to combine the rice and chicken. 

*I couldn't find ghee, so I used salted butter and it worked nicely.

Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken and Indian Rice

I made this tonight and it was a hit! I was nervous about cooking with turmeric, but it was delicious. 

Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 ½ pounds)

¾ cup plain greek yogurt

1 lemon, zested and then juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tbsp minced onion

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp turmeric

Cilantro, for garnish (optional)

HOW TO PREPARE:

1. Rinse chicken thighs in cold water and pat dry. Trim off excess fat, if necessary, and place chicken in a large, heavy duty ziplock bag. 

2. Place all remaining ingredients (except for cilantro) in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and then pour into the ziplock bag with the chicken. Toss to coat all chicken pieces. Place in the fridge and marinate from 8-24 hours. 

3. Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grates to avoid sticking. Place chicken on grill and close lid. Cook 4-6 minutes per side. 

Indian Rice

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp minced onion

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp curry powder

1 cup jasmine rice

HOW TO PREPARE:

1. Heat medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sauté onion in olive oil. Add water and bouillon cubes until boiling. Use a spoon to break up bouillon cubes.

2. Add turmeric, curry powder, and rice and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.