The word biryani often evokes a sense of wonder, mystery and majesty.
This is perhaps in part due to its travels, from Persia to India and beyond. Or to its timeless and often unexplainable quality.
While there are many versions of this much beloved dish, in essence, its principles are simple.
When cooking, the base of the dish is developed by a method known as ‘dum’, where the meat renders on a low and slow heat beneath a fragrant layer of rice in a sealed pot.
All the flavours are allowed to meld together while gently frying the rice as it cooks.
Therein, some say, tracing its roots to the Persian words ‘biriyan’ and ‘birinj’, which loosely translate as ‘fried’ and ‘rice’.
Though it is widely celebrated, it is at its core a humble dish, bringing with it images of Bedouin trails, and moments in which people of all walks of life come together to share in a meal.
A simple moment of reflection, to remind us that we are all one and the same be it a king or a stranger.
This Ramadan, may we all be blessed with many moments of reflection such as these.
Flavours and pairings
Delicately spiced, with hints of saffron and coriander laced throughout. It is defined by the fragrant and pillowy-soft quality of basmati.
This dish is best served with a simple tomato salad or raita, and a little lime or mango pickle.
Ingredients
To marinate
- 1 kg chicken
- 5 tablespoons yoghurt
- 5 cm ginger, blend or pound to a paste
- 5 cloves garlic, blend or pound to a paste
- 1 large handful of coriander leaves
- 2-3 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin powder
- 3-4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
To fry
- 2 medium red onions, very finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
To cook
- 3 cups basmathi rice, washed three times
- 2 pods star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- saffron strands, soaked in 3 tablespoons of hot milk
Method
Biryani can often be intimidating, but it’s easy to achieve when thinking of it in five simple steps:
- Marinate: mix all the ingredients together and allow to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Fry: gently heat the ghee or butter in a deep pot, on low flame. Once the ghee or butter begins to sizzle, add the onions and cook slowly and patiently for 10 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and caramelised. Set aside.
- Basmathi: add the uncooked basmathi rice to the same pot in which the onions were cooked, allow the rice grains to soak up all the onion flavours from the residual ghee or butter in the pot.
- Add bay leaf, star anise and cumin seeds.
- Add water to cover, then allow to cook on a gentle medium heat until the rice is three-quarters cooked (almost like with pasta, it should be al dente and retain some bite).
- When it has reached this point, immediately drain through a sieve and set aside.
- Cook: add a little more ghee to the same pot and heat on a low-medium flame.
- Then add the marinated chicken and allow to cook on a gentle heat for 10-12 minutes. Taste for salt, add if needed. Turn the fire off.
- Layer and cover: carefully layer the basmathi rice on top of the chicken to cover the entire surface area of the pot.
- Top with the saffron infused milk and a layer of fried onions.
- Cover with a lid, then go low and slow. Allowing the biryani to cook for eight to 10 minutes on a gentle fire.
- Top with a final sprinkling of coriander and its ready to serve.
@theorangesieve serves up recipes from the heart, inspired by travels near and far. It’s all about food that humbly invites you to discover the truth about flavour, that is: the people, the culture and the stories behind them. The kind of food that leaves you with a smile for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.