Chicken Biriani
Ingredients
2 large onions, peeled
2 cloves garlic, crushed, or to taste
2-inch piece ginger root, fresh, peeled
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. turmeric
4 Tbsp. natural yogurt
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
6 green cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
2 C. brown basmati rice, or 2 C. ordinary brown rice
3-1/4 C. water
lemon wedges, to serve
fresh coriander, to serve
Cooking Instructions
Thinly slice 1 onion and set it aside. Cut the other onion into chunks, then puree it to a paste with the garlic, ginger root, curry powder, turmeric and yogurt. If a blender or food processor is not available, then grate the onion and ginger root, and mix with the other ingredients. Add plenty of seasoning. Spoon this mixture over the chicken thighs, spreading it evenly and turning to coat all sides. Cover and chill for 1 to 24 hours, the longer the better. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the sliced onion, bay leaves and cardamoms. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove half the onion from the pan, and reserve for garnish. Push the rest of the onion to one side. Add chicken portions, reserving the juices from marinating, and brown them all over. Add the rice to the pan, sprinkling it down between the chicken. Tuck the cinnamon stick in between the chicken, scraping all the marinating juice into the pan. Pour in 3-3/4 cup water, and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cover pan tightly. Leave to gently cook 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the water and the chicken is tender. The biriani should be moist. Transfer the biriani to a serving dish, or serve it from the cooking pan, sprinkling the reserved onion on top. Add lemon wedges for garnish, squeezing all the juices over the biriani, and coriander, as desired.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)