Chicken Biriyani Beggars Pouches Food

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak 300g basmati rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.
• Heat 25g butter in a saucepan and cook 1 finely sliced large onion with 1 bay leaf, 3 cardamom pods and 1 small cinnamon stick for 10 mins.
• Sprinkle in 1 tsp turmeric, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks, and 4 tbsp curry paste. Cook until aromatic.
• Stir the rice into the pan with 85g raisins, then pour over 850ml chicken stock.
• Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook the rice for another 5 mins.
• Turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. Stir well, mixing through 15g chopped coriander. To serve, scatter over the leaves of the remaining 15g coriander and 2 tbsp toasted almonds.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak the rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions with the bay leaf and other whole spices for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the turmeric, then add chicken and curry paste; cook till aromatic.
• Stir the rice into the pan with the raisins, then pour over the stock. Place a tight fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum; cook the rice for another 5 minutes. Turn of the heat & leave for 10 minutes. Stir well, mixing through half the coriander.
• To serve scatter over the rest of the coriander and the almonds.

THE BEST CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Whisk together the yogurt, 3 tablespoons salt, chili powder and turmeric in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature until ready to use, up to 1 hour. (Alternatively, the chicken can be marinated for up to 2 days covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.)
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees F. Fry half of the onions, stirring frequently for even cooking, until deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer them to a paper-towel lined baking sheet to drain. Season with salt and let cool. Let the oil come back up to temperature and repeat with the remaining onions. Reserve the oil.
• Wash, rinse and drain the rice in a bowl full of cold water until the water is almost clear, about 5 times. Bring the rice, 1/4 cup salt, 4 of the cloves, 3 of the cardamom pods, 1 of the bay leaves, the peppercorns and 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Cook for exactly 5 minutes. (The rice will not be completely cooked; it will continue to cook in the oven. Do not cook longer or the rice will get mushy.) Drain and transfer the rice and spices to a medium bowl.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Stir together the saffron and milk in a small bowl until combined.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved onion oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and the remaining 4 cloves, 4 cardamom pods and 2 bay leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spices are very fragrant and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the garlic and ginger from the bottom of the pan, until the tomatoes start to break down and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and layer on top of the tomatoes. Then sprinkle half the fried onions on top of the chicken. Top with the rice and spices and then drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. Cover the pan and bake until the liquid evaporates, the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let sit covered for 10 minutes, then transfer the biryani to a large serving platter. Top with the remaining fried onions, cilantro and mint leaves.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
• When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
• Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
• In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rice in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and rub rice to release starch. Drain. Repeat until liquid is almost clear. Cover with water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and rice. Return to a boil. Cook 4 minutes. Drain.
• In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cumin, and coriander until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool briefly, then grind in a spice grinder. Stir in mace. Soak saffron in milk.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Working in two batches, season chicken with salt and cook until brown on one side, 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the onions. Season with salt. Cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 cup onions and coarsely chop the rest.
• Return chopped onions to pan with 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chiles, the ground toasted spices, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add yogurt, turmeric, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, return to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 inch oil in a small saucepan over medium-high until a piece of onion dropped in oil sizzles. Working in small batches, fry reserved onions until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• When chicken has simmered for 15 minutes, remove from sauce. Bring sauce to a boil and cook, uncovered, to reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Add juices from resting chicken. Remove half of the sauce. Return half of the chicken to pan and add half of the rice. Sprinkle with one-third of the crisped onions, half of the saffron milk, the reserved sauce, and remaining chicken. Top with remaining rice and another one-third of onions. Drizzle with remaining saffron milk.
• Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove lid and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Return lid to pan and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with remaining onions.

CHICKEN BIRYANI BAKE

Steps:

• Start by making the curry. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Season the chicken and fry until browned, then remove and set aside. Fry the onion in the rest of the oil for 10-12 mins until soft and starting to caramelise.
• Add the paste and cauliflower, stirring to coat everything, then return the chicken. Pour in the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer everything for 30 mins until the cauliflower is nearly tender. There should be just enough liquid to cover everything so add a splash more water or stock if you need to. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt.
• Assemble the bake in either 1 large or 2 smaller, deep ovenproof dishes. Start with a ¹/³ of the spinach leaves, season, then top with a ¹/³ of the curry. Finish with a ¹/³ of the rice then repeat twice more. Scatter on the almonds and either cool completely to freeze, or heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 20-25 mins until the topping has crisped up and the dish is piping hot through.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Remove and discard the skin from the chicken legs and breasts. Cut each leg into drumstick and thigh, and quarter the breasts.
• To prepare the marinade paste, peel and coarsely chop the garlic, ginger, and 3 onions. Place in a blender with the cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, poppy seeds, mace, 1 teaspoon salt, and the lemon juice. Blend to a smooth paste. Turn into a large bowl, add the yogurt, and mix well.
• Dry Roasting: Spices are often dry-roasted before use. It is best to do this over medium heat in a preheated small, heavy, cast-iron frying pan. No oil is used; the spices are just stirred around in the pan with a wooden spatula until they brown lightly. Roasted spices develop a heightened, nutty aroma. They can be stored for several months in an airtight jar.
• Peel the 3 remaining onions, halve lengthwise, and slice finely. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the bay leaves and cardamom pods. Fry for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until brown and crisp, but not burned. Remove with a slotted spoon, squeezing out as much oil as possible. Reserve the oil, cardamoms, and bay leaves. Add 2/3 of the fried onions to the marinade paste and mix well. Drain the rest on paper towels and set aside for garnishing.
• Pierce the chicken pieces with a fork and add to the bowl of marinade paste; mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, turning the chicken occasionally.
• Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large heavy-based cooking pot or pan. Bring slowly to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Lift out the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and place them in a 6-quart casserole dish; cover and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Crumble the saffron into the warm milk and set aside to soak.
• Boil the marinade paste, stirring, over a medium heat, until reduced to 9 to 10 tablespoons. Spoon the paste over the chicken. Cover again.
• Pour about 3 quarts water into a large cooking pot or flameproof casserole. Add 3 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice, bring back to a boil, then simmer for precisely 5 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander, then place it on top of the chicken in the casserole.
• Pour the saffron-infused milk over the rice, streaking it with orange lines. Sprinkle the reserved cardamom, bay leaves, and oil over the rice (retaining 1 tablespoon oil, for frying the raisins, if using). Cover the casserole dish with foil, cut 2 inches wider than the rim of the dish. Now put the lid on and use the protruding foil edges to seal the dish as best you can by crinkling it and pushing it against the sides. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
• To prepare the garnishes, if including raisins fry them briefly in the reserved oil. Lightly toast the almonds if you wish. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs lengthwise, or cut into slice.
• Spoon the rice and chicken onto a large warm platter. Sprinkle with the fried onions, raisins, almonds and hard-cooked eggs. Serve hot.

CHICKEN BIRIYANI BEGGARS POUCHES

Steps:

• Mix the cayenne powder, coriander powder and tumeric powder, set aside
• In a clean food processor grind the medium onion, garlic and ginger to a paste
• Dry the chicken well and chop finely, but do not grind ( a couple of pulses in the food processor will do fine
• Heat the oil or ghee in a pan and fry the onion slices to golden and set aside
• Do the same to the cashew nuts and raisins and set aside
• Add the ground paste and dry spice mix to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the chopped chicken
• Cook the chicken in the spice paste for a few minutes, turning it over a few times with a spoon, until it is no longer pink
• Add the green chilies, garam masala, whole cardamom, yoghurt, coriander leaves and salt to taste
• Let the chicken simmer in the sauce until the chicken is cooked and the sauce thickens
• Remove from heat and let cool
• Cut the phyllo sheets in half, so you have 32 squares
• cover the phyllo with plastic wrap and a damp towel while working so it does not dry out
• Place one sheet of phyllo on your work surface
• Brush with a little melted butter, especially the edges
• Place a second sheet on top in the opposite direction to make a cross, brushing this sheet with melted butter as well
• Place two more sheets in the same manner (criss crossing and brushing with butter) on top of the previous sheets of phyllo (you will have 4 layers, criss crossing each other
• Divide chicken mixture into 8 and place 1/8th of mixture into center of one of the layers of phyllo
• Sprinkle 1/8th of the cashews and raisins on top
• Loosen the sheets of phyllo with a flat metal spatula or knife and using your fingers, carefully lift and gather the phyllo (as if making a pouch) encasing the chicken in a bundle with a loose flowing frilly top
• Pinch the gather together and hold for 5 seconds
• This will hold the package closed
• Place each purse on a lightly greased baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken and phyllo
• Refrigerate until ready to bake (this can be made in advance up to this point)
• When placing the chicken on the sheet pans, leave enough space between the bundles to that they will become crispy on the sides when baked
• Preheat oven to 375*F
• Place the pans with the beggars purses on them into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until nicely crispy (do not overcook)
• To serve place one beggars purse on a warm plate, with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side, sprinkling the chopped coriander on for a garnish
• If you wanted, two of these purses could be served as a main course along with a spicy basamati pilaf

HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Heat oil at medium high in a wide frying pan. If you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of oil, you should feel the heat. Or use a candy/fry thermometer.
• Fry onions in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Fry until crisp light golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken with all marinade ingredients and 1/3 of fried onions. Tip: Add yogurt, starting with 1/2 cup and increase as needed to 3/4 cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.
• Grind biryani spices in a spice grinder. Add to chicken marinade and combine. Marinate for about 3 to 5 hours.
• Rinse rice 4 to 5 times in lots of water until it is clear. Drain well. Soak 1/3 cup basmati rice in water for one hour. Save the rest.
• Below is the rice cooker method. For alternative traditional cooking method check our lamb biryani recipe.
• Bring 2¼ cups of water to a rolling boil in a rice cooker. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons olive oil and whole spices (see note). Then add remaining 1⅔ cups basmati rice and stir. Let it cook just until all the water is absorbed (see notes).
• It is important to NOT let the rice steam until it is fully done. Just when all the water is well absorbed, transfer cooked rice immediately to another wide open pan. In my rice cooker the whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken with marinade to a 5-quart, wide, thick-bottomed and oven-proof cooking pot (9 to 10 inch diameter). Make sure there is not too much marinade around chicken pieces and that it is not runny.
• Scatter cilantro, mint, half the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken and marinade. Then scatter most of the fried onions.
• Drain the soaked basmati rice very well and spread it over the fried onion layer. (This raw soaked rice will get cooked with the juices from chicken).
• Next, layer all the cooked rice. Top with remaining lemon juice, saffron water, fried onions and ghee.Tip: If you prefer, you may pick out the whole spices from cooked rice before steaming.
• Oven Method: Place one sheet of parchment paper, followed by one to two sheets of aluminum foil over the cooking pot. Place the lid tight over it. Bake biryani in a preheated oven at 350ºF for one hour, until steam builds up well.
• Stove-Top Method (Alternative): Heat the biryani at medium high for about 10 to 15 minutes and then reduce to low and cook for one hour until steam builds up well.
• Remove from oven or stove. Let it cool five minutes and gently mix rice and chicken. Using a spatula, mound the biryani on a serving plate, making sure to present the rice in various colors - white, yellow, orange and brown. Place some chicken pieces on the top. Scatter fried onions, herbs and extra saffron rice on top.
• Serve it with mirchi ka salan or Hyderabadi tomato egg curry and raita.