Chicken Biryani
By: Ritesh Charitra
Since I was little, food has always played an important role in my life. Coming from a big family there has always been gatherings at my house. When I was young, I remember everyone would come over and my mom and aunts would cook a variety of dishes while the men hung out and the kids played outside. The delicious smell of spices and curries roamed throughout the house. My mom is a great host, and always went far and beyond in making everyone feel at home. One of those delicious dishes that always reminds me fond childhood memories is Chicken Biryani. In simple terms “Chicken Biryani” is chicken with rice mixed together. The secret in making this dish is using fresh farmed chicken rather than the frozen ones you can find in your local grocery store.
Many people believe “biryani” is a dish indigenous to India. The name biryani is “derived from the Persian word Birian, which means ‘fried before cooking’ and Birinj, the Persian word for rice. While there are multiple theories about how biryani made its way to India, it is generally accepted that it originated in West Asia.” (Pal, 2016)The are many different legends of how biryani was created but the most “popular story traces the origins of the dish to Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s beautiful queen who inspired the Taj Mahal. It is said that Mumtaz once visited the army barracks and found the Mughal soldiers looking weak and undernourished. She asked the chef to prepare a special dish that combined meat and rice to provide balanced nutrition to the soldiers – and the result was biryani of course! At the time, rice was fried in ghee, without washing, to give it a nutty flavour and prevent it from clumping. Meat, aromatic spices, and saffron were added to it before cooking the mix over a wood fire.” (Pal, 2016)
Many different cultures have some type of chicken and rice mixture. Colombians for instance have Arroz con Pollo. The mixture of chicken and rice is a classic combination which uses a mixture of carbs and protein.
In “biryani”, spices play a very important role in making it delicious and there are a variety of recipes which use either meat, chicken or only vegetables. Vegetarians and vegans can make Biryanis without any meat or animal products by substituting meat with veggies and potatoes. Many restaurants in India don’t serve meat and for religious reasons incorporate a vegan diet. “The evolution of biryani spans many centuries, many cultures, many ingredients and many cooking styles. From an army dish to a dish fit for royalty, the biryani today is a pan-India culinary favourite. Its many varieties reflect the local tastes, traditions and gastronomic histories of their regions of evolution. (Pal, 2016)
In my household, chicken biryani has been a staple food and we use a recipe that is quite easy to follow. Although we use the Shan’s Sindhi Biryani spices mix, we do not follow the directions on the back.
Let’s start with the ingredients you will need:
-2 lbs. of your choice of meat. (You may use boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs with bone-in, chopped in small pieces. Omit if you are vegetarian)
-3 cups of long grain brown rice or basmati rice
-2 medium onions
-3 medium tomatoes
-handful of garlic cloves
-3 one-inch pieces of fresh ginger
-1 Serrano chili pepper
-3 tbsp. olive oil
-Salt and black pepper to taste
– 1 box of Shan Sindhi Biryani
Photo by: Ritesh
-1 large pot
– 4 cups of water
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Step 1: Wash the chicken and prep it by chopping in small pieces. If you are using bone-in chicken cut in small pieces including the bones. Add light amount of salt and black pepper.
Photo by: Ritesh
Step 2: Mince the garlic, ginger and chili pepper. Once minced add to the chopped chicken pieces and mix well. Set aside.
Photo by: Ritesh
Step 3: Peel and chop the onions into small pieces. Set aside.
Step 4: Chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Photo by: Ritesh
Step 5: Rinse the rice three times and then put it in the rice cooker with enough water to cover the rice up to two inches. For 3 cups of rice, you would add approximately 3 cups of water as well. Sprinkle a tsp of Shah’s mixture and mix the rice. Place to cook.
Photo by: Ritesh
Step 6: Pour oil in hot pot and add the chopped onions
Step 7: Once the onions are golden brown, add the chopped chicken and chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle the package of Shah’s Sindhi Biryani and mix all ingredients in the pot well.
Step 8: Add 1 cup of water to the pot, cover and let cook over medium heat
Step 9: After 10 mins, uncover pot and mix chicken around to ensure it cooks evenly. Let the chicken cook until the water has dried out. Approximately 30 mins.
Step 9: Once the chicken is cooked and the water had dried move pot aside.
Step 10: Grab the cooked rice and throw on top of the cooked chicken. With a spoon mix the rice and chicken together until the ingredients have mixed together well.
Step 11: Serve your portion of Chicken biryani and garnish on top with chopped cilantro.
Photo by: Ritesh
Enjoy!!
References
Pal, S. (2016, July 6). The better India. Retrieved from The Story of Biryani: How This Exotic Dish Came, Saw and Conquered India!: https://www.thebetterindia.com/60553/history-biryani-india/