We are trying to be as careful as possible with food these days. With Covid19 quarantine in full swing, access to ingredients and fresh produce is an increasing concern. So we are really trying to get maximum flavour and nutrition out of our food, while using minimal ingredients possible . This biriyani basically fits the brief!
This recipe serves 6 people
- 500g Basmati rice
- Half a full chicken
- Veggies of choice
- Curd or curd substitute
- 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
- Fresh coriander and mint
- Spices
We started by marinading half a full chicken (cut into pieces) in a bunch of spices, garlic and a curd substitute (fresh milk with a good squeeze of lime). I prefer using bone in chicken,as the bones in the chicken releases so much flavour into the rice when it’s cooked. The spices we had on hand were cumin, coriander, turmeric and chili powder. Ideally, we would also add some cloves, cardamom and a touch of pepper.
We added a peeled chopped potato and some broccoli (basically the only veg I currently have plenty of, most root veggies will work) and allowed to marinade for a couple of hours as well.
To cook the biriyani, in the rice cooker, we layered the marinaded meat and veggies with basmati rice and a handful of fresh coriander and homegrown mint. Top with water and cook till the rice is fluffy and the chicken cooked through.
I served this with a simple onion salad and herb chutney. For the chutney, we used homegrown mint, curry leaves and a tiny bit of leftover coconut sambol as we didn’t have fresh coconut. Both side dishes have plenty of organic lime for that boost of Vitamin C.
