Indonesian-inspired chicken biryani
I know a biryani sounds like a daunting undertaking, but it really doesn’t have to be. For one thing, you cook the chicken a day (or up to a couple of days) in advance, which breaks up the process into manageable tasks. Furthermore, not only will the flavours deepen and mellow overnight, but the chicken will be gorgously tender. On top of which, it leaves you to do no more on the day itself than cook the rice - and for just two minutes! - then layer it up in a pan with the gently reheated chicken and steam it. And the marinade you start the chicken off with is an easy affair that relies predominantly on the punchy Indonesian chilli paste sambal oelek (though other chilli pastes could be substituted) and kecap manis, which is a sweet and treacly soy sauce. Just one thing before you get started: the chicken thighs absolutely must be on the bone, even if you plan to debone them before layering up them up with the rice: if you use thigh fillets the texture will be disappointingly dry and stringy. You have been warned!
Ingredients
- garlic clove2 კბილი
- Vegetable oil15 ml
- Sunflower oil60 ml
- Lime juice15 ml
Instructions
14 steps- 1
Pour the yogurt into a dish large enough to fit the chicken pieces in a single layer (such as a rectangular Pyrex dish). Add the sambal oelek, kecap manis, tamarind paste, grated ginger, garlic, ground cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, salt, and vegetable oil, then whisk or stir gently until uniformly combined.
- 2
Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, turning and coating them thoroughly in the mixture, then leave to marinate while you prepare and cook the onions.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan or casserole dish. Cook the onions on high heat for the first 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 20-30 minutes until soft and pale.
30 min
- 4
Once the onions are soft, lift the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them bone-side down in the pan, spreading the onions over them. Pour any remaining marinade over the top, cover with a lid, and cook at a fast simmer for 15 minutes.
15 min
- 5
Remove the lid and turn the chicken pieces over, coating them in the sauce. Simmer briskly uncovered for another 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is rich and thickened.
30 min
- 6
Transfer the chicken and sauce back to a dish to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. If desired, debone the thighs at this stage for easier serving.
- 7
In a large pot, combine the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, coconut flakes, and pink peppercorns. Pour in 2 litres of water, add salt, lime juice, and sesame oil, bring to a boil covered, then turn off the heat and leave covered to infuse.
- 8
Meanwhile, rinse the rice and soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Towards the end of soaking, reheat the chicken gently in a pan and bring the aromatic water back to a boil.
30 min
- 9
Drain the soaked rice and add it gradually with a slotted spoon into the boiling aromatic water. Cover, bring back to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes, then drain thoroughly in a colander.
2 min
- 10
Wipe the pot clean, brush the bottom with sesame oil, and add half of the rice. Scatter half of the toasted cumin seeds, coconut flakes, and cranberries over top. Layer the warmed chicken pieces and sauce evenly, cover with the remaining rice, and finish with the remaining cumin, coconut, and cranberries.
- 11
Seal the top of the pot tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until steam builds, then lower the heat and steam for another 15-16 minutes (20 minutes total).
20 min
- 12
Remove the pot from the heat, carefully take off the foil, cover with a clean kitchen towel, replace the lid, and let rest off the heat for 20 minutes.
20 min
- 13
While the biryani is resting, crisp the reserved chicken skin in an air fryer at maximum heat (or in a skillet) for 12-18 minutes until completely crunchy. Reserve any rendered fat (schmaltz) for later use.
15 min
- 14
Gently spoon the biryani onto a large serving platter, scraping up and including any crispy rice bits from the bottom. Top with the crumbled crispy chicken skin and freshly chopped coriander.
Nutrition
1 serving ≈ 375 g
Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.
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