Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seed
3 quarts water
Salt
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, sliced thin
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1⁄4 cups basmati rice
1⁄2 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crumbled
1⁄4 cup currants or raisins
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
1. Wrap cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cumin seed in small piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. In 3 1⁄2- to 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan about 8 inches in diameter, bring water, spice bundle, and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt to boil over medium-high heat; reduce to medium and simmer, partially covered, until spices have infused water, at least 15 minutes (but no longer than 30 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides; add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and dark brown about edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl, season lightly with salt, and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towels, return heat to medium-high, and place chicken in skillet; cook, without moving chicken, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken and brown second side, 4 to 5 minutes longer; transfer chicken to plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.
3. If necessary, return spice-infused water to boil over high heat; stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice through fine-mesh strainer, reserving 3⁄4 cup cooking liquid; discard spice bundle. Transfer rice to medium bowl; stir in saffron and currants (rice will turn splotchy yellow). Spread half of rice evenly in bottom of now-empty saucepan using rubber spatula. Scatter half of onion mixture over rice, then place chicken on top of onions; add any accumulated chicken juices. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and mint, scatter remaining onions over herbs, then cover with remaining rice; pour reserved cooking liquid evenly over rice.
4. Cover saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes (if large amount of steam is escaping from pot, reduce heat to low). Serve with Yogurt Sauce.
Comments
This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated 2004. I’ve been going through old issues trying to find neat (recipes to try and this one looked tasty! Sadly, I had the heat up a bit too high in step 3, so some rice burnt to the bottom of the pot. I’ll know for next time. It also would have been nice to have had extra rice. This recipe has a lot of merit; I think I just need to fidget with it a bit before I make it again. The flavors were all tasty, though, and we enjoyed it.
Sadly, I took the picture before adding the Yogurt Sauce, but it was really tasty too.
Cook’s Illustrated 2004