Middle Eastern Biryani

In the Middle East, Biryani rice dishes are well known. Biryani or biriani rice, beriani, or briyani is a rice dish, usually from basmati rice. This rice is cooked with spices and then added with vegetables, or meat. The meat can be chicken, goat, fish, shrimp or beef.

This food, as reported by Wikipedia, comes from South Asia or India and Pakistan. In Indonesia and Malaysia, this dish is called with the addition of the word rice. So it becomes biryani rice, briyani rice, briani rice, or beriani rice. The name of this dish ‘Biryani’ comes from Persian which means fried or grilled.

Ingredients

For Chicken

• 1 Whole chicken
• Whole spices: 4 cardamom pods 3 cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, 10 peppercorns
• 1.5 tsp salt

For Rice

• 3.5 cups Basmati rice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2.5 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp oil
• chicken broth

For Potatoes

• 5 potatoes
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Other ingredients:

• 2.5 cups peas
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups slivered almonds

For the spices:

• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tsp Biryani spice mixture

Step by Steps

Step 1

Start by preheating the oven to 450F.

Step 2

Wash the whole chicken well using water, and place in a large pot. Cover with water.

Step 3

Add the whole spices and salt, and bring to a boil. When chicken starts to boil, scoop out any foam that forms at the surface

Step 4

Boil the chicken until fully cooked, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 5

Meanwhile, peel, wash and chop the potatoes into cubes. Mix with salt and vegetable oil, and bake on a lined baking sheet for 30-40 mins until golden.

Step 6

When chicken is fully cooked, remove and cool, then shred into bite size pieces.

Step 7

Remove the whole spices from the broth by straining, then add the turmeric, salt, oil and rice to the pot.

Step 8

Ensure the broth covers the rice by 1 inch. Bring to a rapid boil, then cover and turn heat to low and cook for 20 mins untouched. After 20 mins, turn heat off and leave covered.

Step 9

Place peas in a pot and cover with water. Boil for 20 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.

Step 10

Toast the almonds in a pan with 1 tbsp oil until golden, stirring continuously.

Step 11

In another large pan, add 2 tbsp oil, shredded chicken, peas, raisins, and the spices under "other ingredients" which are 2 tsp allspice and 1 tsp salt. Saute until everything is combined and hot (this step is to draw out the moisture from the mixture and heat everything).

Step 12

When all components are ready, in a large tray, add the rice, then top with the chicken, raisins and peas mixture, then the potatoes and the almonds (save a bit of almonds for the topping).

Step 13

Then add all the spices under the "spices section" on top and mix everything very well until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt/heat as required.

Step 14

Serve immediately with a side of salad and yogurt.

Tips

1. You can pan fry the potatoes instead of baking as well, but I like to bake because I can work on the other components while they bake.

2. You can find a Biryani spice mix at any ethnic grocery store.

3. When toasting the almonds, make sure you stir continuously because they tend to burn quickly