Skinny Chicken Biryani Recipes

THE BEST CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or (preferably) up to 48 hours, covered, in the fridge - see make ahead. Cover the basmati rice in cold water and leave to soak for 1 hour.
• For the onions, pour the 350ml oil into a saucepan and heat to 160°C (test with a digital thermometer, or add a piece of onion - it should sizzle). Coat the onions lightly in the flour, then add them, in 4 batches, to the oil. When they're golden (2-3 minutes) remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper to dry, then set aside.
• When the chicken has marinated, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay leaves, cumin seeds, nutmeg and star anise, then gently toast for 2-3 minutes to release their aromas. Add the chicken and its marinade, cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the tomato purée and salt. Simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked.
• Keep the chicken and sauce warm over a low heat. If it begins to stick, add a splash of water but don't make it too runny: the sauce should just coat the back of a spoon.
• To cook the rice, soak the saffron threads in the milk for 15 minutes. Drain the rice, put in a medium saucepan and add 1 litre boiling water and the salt. Cook the rice for 3 minutes, then drain and stir through half the ghee to coat the warm grains of rice.
• In a large flameproof casserole with a tight-fitting lid, melt the remaining ghee with 50ml water over a gentle heat, then assemble the biryani. Start with one third of the rice, a drizzle of the saffron milk and a sprinkle of the crispy onions. Top with half the chicken, then repeat, finishing with a final layer of rice and more onions on top.
• Put the lid on the casserole and turn up the heat to get the biryani steaming. Turn the heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, sprinkled with cashews and herbs.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
• When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
• Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
• In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak 300g basmati rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.
• Heat 25g butter in a saucepan and cook 1 finely sliced large onion with 1 bay leaf, 3 cardamom pods and 1 small cinnamon stick for 10 mins.
• Sprinkle in 1 tsp turmeric, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into large chunks, and 4 tbsp curry paste. Cook until aromatic.
• Stir the rice into the pan with 85g raisins, then pour over 850ml chicken stock.
• Place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook the rice for another 5 mins.
• Turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. Stir well, mixing through 15g chopped coriander. To serve, scatter over the leaves of the remaining 15g coriander and 2 tbsp toasted almonds.

SKINNY CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• In medium bowl, stir together yogurt sauce ingredients, reserving half of the mint for garnish; cover and refrigerate.
• Place chicken broth in small bowl, and add saffron threads. Set aside.
• Heat 10- to 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter; heat until foaming. Add chicken; brown on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, using slotted spoon.
• Add onion and salt to same skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garam masala; cook 1 minute longer or until fragrant.
• Add broth mixture, stirring first if using saffron threads. Add chicken; stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 3 to 5 minutes longer to allow flavors to combine.
• Divide rice among 4 shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture, yogurt sauce and remaining mint.

LOW-FAT CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, stir together the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and yogurt with some pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Tip in the chicken pieces and stir to coat (see step 1, above). Cover and marinate in the fridge for about 1 hr or longer if you have time. Warm the milk to tepid, stir in the saffron and set aside.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Slice each onion in half lengthways, reserve half and cut the other half into thin slices. Pour 1½ tbsp of the oil onto a baking tray, scatter over the sliced onion, toss to coat, then spread out in a thin, even layer (step 2). Roast for 40-45 mins, stirring halfway, until golden.
• When the chicken has marinated, thinly slice the reserved onion. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté or frying pan. Fry the onion for 4-5 mins until golden. Stir in the chicken, a spoonful at a time, frying until it is no longer opaque, before adding the next spoonful (this helps to prevent the yogurt from curdling). Once the last of the chicken has been added, stir-fry for a further 5 mins until everything looks juicy. Scrape any sticky bits off the bottom of the pan, stir in the chilli powder, then pour in 100ml water, cover and simmer on a low heat for 15 mins. Remove and set aside.
• Cook the rice while the chicken simmers. Heat another 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan, then drop in the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds. Fry briefly until their aroma is released. Tip in the rice (step 3) and fry for 1 min, stirring constantly. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 8 mins or until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave with the lid on for a few mins, so the rice can fluff up. Stir the garam masala into the remaining 1½ tsp oil and set aside. When the onions are roasted, remove and reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Spoon half the chicken and its juices into an ovenproof dish, about 25 x 18 x 6cm, then scatter over a third of the roasted onions. Remove the whole spices from the rice, then layer half of the rice over the chicken and onions. Drizzle over the spiced oil. Spoon over the rest of the chicken and a third more onions. Top with the remaining rice (step 4) and drizzle over the saffron-infused milk. Scatter over the rest of the onions, cover tightly with foil and heat through in the oven for about 25 mins. Serve scattered with the mint and coriander.