Chicken Biryani

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1hour

Serves 4 

Collect Ingredients

4 cm piece ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

1 tablespoons tamarind juice

1 tablespoon Daintree Spice Co’s Jungle Curry Powder

2 small green chillies, finely chopped

1/3 cup each roughly chopped coriander and mint leaves, plus extra, to serve

4 kg whole chicken cut into 8 or you can use 4 medium maryland’s 4 breasts or 6 small drumsticks        

1 pinch of saffron threads

2 tablespoons of ghee 

60ml vegetable oil

4 red onions, sliced

50 g blanched almonds lightly toasted

2 bay leaves

3 cloves

2 cinnamon quills

3 cardamom pods, bruised

 600g aged basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 2-4 hours

 Daintree Spice Co’s Lemon Myrtle Salt and Pepper seasoning

Method

  1. Place ginger and garlic in the bowl of a small food processor and process until a paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl, add yoghurt, jungle curry powder, green chillies, tamarind juice, ½ teaspoon Lemon Myrtle Salt and Pepper and half the coriander and mint, mixing well to combine. Add chicken, turning to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
  2. Meanwhile, place saffron in a bowl with 2 tbsp warm water and set aside to infuse also for 30 minutes.
  3. Heat ghee and oil (in a heavy based, non-stick frying pan or casserole  with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until very slightly browned. Remove from pan, drain on paper towel and set aside. Remove all but 1 tbsp oil/ghee mixture from pan and reserve. Tap chicken pieces to allow excess marinade to drip off, then add to pan and reduce heat to low.
  4. Place a large saucepan of cold water over high heat. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom bring to the boil. Drain the rice, then add to pan and simmer for 4 minuets a then drain. 
  5. Spread half the rice evenly over chicken, drizzle over some of the reserved cooking oil, top with half the fried onions and half the fried almonds, then spread the remaining rice and top with the remaining fried onions and almonds. Drizzle over saffron-infused water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a further 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender. Top with remaining coriander and mint. Serve immediately
Jason Riches