I love Indian cuisine…. the spices… the intense flavors…. the aromas… are all just amazing. The techniques involved and the specific spices used are a bit different from the West Indian methods of cooking that I am accustomed to; so usually I would purchase the biryani spice pack and follow the instructions.

Today however I decided to try my own hand at biryani. I was curious to try some middle eastern chicken kebabs so I was looking for a side dish and what better dish than a chicken biryani to go with my kebabs.

You can find the recipe here: https://jennagthehijabitt.com/2017/06/15/middle-eastern-chicken-kebabs/

Unfortunately I didn’t have all the required spices such as the bay leaf etc but I had most of them….. soooo here goes!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 lb chicken chunks
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp JGM Products ground chilies
• 1/2 tsp JGM Products ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp JGM Products saffron powder
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 3 pieces of clove
• 4 whole cardamon
• 2 medium onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

One of the things I absolutely enjoy in biryani is the cooked ‘burnt’ taste of the onions. I used 2 whole onions but you can use one if you wish. I actually used one when I cooked this initially but I felt I needed more after tasting it so for the recipe I decided to put 2 instead of 1.

METHOD:

1. Soak basmati rice for roughly 20 mins.
2. While basmati rice is soaking, prepare chicken. To do this, add yogurt, ground chilies, salt, saffron, tomatoes, garlic, ginger powder, whole nutmeg and 2 whole cardamon to the chicken in a bowl. Mix well and set aside to marinate while the rice is soaking.
3. Time to put everything together. Bring water to a boil. Add 2 whole cardamon and clove pieces followed by the basmati rice. Cover pot and cook until rice is 3/4 way cooked through (roughly 5 mins). Strain and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown.
5. Add marinating chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat and cook until chicken is 3/4 way cooked through (roughly 2-3 mins). Stir occasionally.
6. Add cooked rice to the skillet and create a layer over the chicken. Cover skillet and continue cooking for 2-3 mins on low heat.
7. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few mins before serving.
8. TIME TO EAT! 😋😀

I was so surprised at how much hubby and I both enjoyed this…biryani from scratch!😀😀😀 I was so proud of myself lol.

It was so delicious with the kebabs so I really hope you guys give it a try! Also, I am very much open to ways to improve the recipe and any suggestions etc so leave me comment or send me a msg. You can follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/jennagthehijabitt)

 

Check out the cooking video here: https://youtu.be/M4Xg4vfbbFA