Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• 10 whole cardamom pods, preferably 5 white or green and 5 black
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160)
• 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
• 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds, optional

Method

1. Melt half the butter in a deep lidded skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chopped onion with salt and black pepper for 5 to 10 minutes until it softens without browning.
2. Add the saffron threads, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and minced ginger to the onion and cook this biryani spice mixture for 1 minute more.
3. Stir the basmati rice into the spiced onion and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes until the grains look glossy and coated.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, lay the chicken pieces into the rice with more salt and pepper, bring the skillet to a boil, then cover it and drop the heat to a simmer.
5. Cook the biryani undisturbed for about 25 minutes until the chicken and rice are tender and the stock is absorbed, adding up to 1/2 cup of boiling water and re-covering the pan if it is not quite done, then rest it off the heat still covered.
6. Melt the remaining butter in a small skillet over medium heat and brown the slivered almonds in it for about 3 minutes.
7. Pour the almond butter over the rested biryani, scatter a little salt across the rice, cover the skillet for 2 to 3 minutes more, then serve the chicken biryani in deep scoops.

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data