MISCELLANEOUS: Chicken biryani used to be a dish I enjoyed at Indian restaurants in the UK. I tried reproducing it at home and came up with this version of it.

CHICKEN BIRYANI—FRIED RICE, INDIAN STYLE:

 

 

 

1 ½ cups basmati rice 

3 large chicken pieces  + 3 cups chicken stock          

veggie mix:

    1 clove garlic, peeled                                              

    2 pieces of ginger root, peeled

    1 thin carrot, thinly sliced                           

    1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. tomato paste

                                

3 oz. ghee or clarified butter +  1 tbsp. cooking oil

                                            

salt to taste

spice mix:

    3 whole cloves                                            

    4 whole peppercorns

    1 tbsp. ground cumin                                  

    ½ tsp. each ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder   

    4 cardamom pods, crushed             

    ½ tsp salt

 

 

 

Chop garlic and ginger very finely and add into chicken stock. Wash rice in a few changes of water and drain well. Remove skin and bones from chicken pieces and cut meat into strips about 3-inches long.

 

Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. Add salt to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

 

Add oil to ghee in pan and add in spice mix ingredients. Stir well, and cook over high heat for a few seconds until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in onion. Cook until golden brown in colour; then add in rice, chicken and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in stock; cover pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook rice for 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked and all the liquid absorbed. Discard the cloves, peppercorns and cardamom pods. Transfer rice to a serving dish.