Recipe Centre

Chicken breyani

Ingredients
1 kg Basmati rice
800 g masoor (black lentils)
oil for frying
6 medium onions
3 chickens, cut into portions
6 cinnamon sticks (tuj)
12 elachi (cardamom pods)
10 green chillies, seeds removed and chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves (optional)
5 ml saffron
5 ml turmeric (arad)
15 ml coarse salt
20 ml dhania/jeera mixture (mixed coriander and cumin)
25 ml red chilli powder
25 ml garlic and ginger paste
10 ml soomph (fennel seeds)
45 ml lemon juice
30 ml white vinegar
few sprigs mint
0.50 bunch dhania (fresh coriander), chopped
500 ml yoghurt
3 fresh tomatoes, grated
8 medium potatoes, halved
ghee
500 ml frozen peas

Method:
Wash rice, leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then boil and drain.
Boil masoor in salted water.
Heat oil and fry onions until golden.
Drain and place in freezer to crisp.
Wash and then pat chicken portions dry.
Place in a large dish and add all the spices, herbs, lemon juice, vinegar, yoghurt, tomatoes, fried onions and potatoes.
Mix well and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Add ghee to NMC Ovenprufe pot and then sprinkle a little rice and masoor (about 0.5 cm high) into it.
Arrange the chicken pieces on the rice layer.
Cover with masoor and peas.
Add potato mixture and spread remaining rice over.
Cover pot with lid and simmer on stove until it steams.
Place pot in a 180 °C preheated oven and cook for about an hour until moisture evaporates.
Serve with poppadoms, salad and spiced yoghurt.

Recipe From : NMC March 26, 2003