Chicken Biryani

It is the month of Ramadan and for all my Muslim friends and family who are fasting here is a Chicken Biryana recipe to try out. You can have Biryana at dawn before your fast or at dusk to break your fast. Its spicy taste and flavor will keep you going through out your day.

 Biryana is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays. It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it.

 All this while I thought I needed an oven to make Biryana but sometimes when you lack one thing like a cooker and as though to add salt to injury, with the kind of unstable electricity we can not rely on an electric cooker to do your cooking. So here is a fantastic procedure in preparing my chicken Biryana without using a cooker of any kind but just my gas stove.

Points to consider;

1. What you use to mix your rice determines the name of your Biryana, use vegetables for a vegetable Biryana, mutton for a mutton Biryana, fish for a fish Biryana, the procedure is the same
2. Always use long grain rice. Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use.
3. As an option to vegetable oil, Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste. Ghee is commonly made and used by many tribes in Western Uganda that do a lot of cattle farming.
4. You do not have to always buy plain yoghurt from your grocery store. Just buy once, a small amount and use it to make bongo at home
5. In Uganda plain yoghurt is called Bongo, a word that originated from the coastal Swahili language and used almost by every other tribe in Uganda to mean plain yoghurt.
6. For your Biryana instead of using plain water to get the rice cooked, you can buy chicken stock cubes and mix in the water or make a chicken stock at home.

For Homemade Bongo/Yoghurt

• Get ½ pint of milk, boil and let it cool
• In a clean glass bowl, spread a table spoon of plain yoghurt into the dish surface. You can use more table spoons depending on the size of your dish
• When the milk is cool, remove the top cream
• Pour the milk into the glass dish
• Cover and place in a cool dry area, I usually keep mine on the top of my fridge
• Leave it there covered for 3 days
• On day 3, when you uncover you will find your milk gone sour to form a bongo
• Drain all the excess juices you find floating

And taadaa*** you have you sour milk/bongo/plain yoghurt

For a home made Chicken stock

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken cut into parts, reserving the back and neck
• 1 teaspoon olive oil but you can use canola oil as well  or any vegetable oil
• 2 medium carrots cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 3 springs fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• Just enough cold water to boil
• 1 celery rib with leaves, cut into chunks

Directions

• In a pan, cook chicken breast halves in oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes; remove and set aside.
• Cook remaining chicken pieces, including back and neck, in two batches until browned; set aside.
• In the same pan, sauté the carrots and onion until onion is tender
• Return chicken to the pan. Add cold water, celery and all other seasonings/spices
• Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Float foam.
• Remove chicken breast halves from pan. Remove meat from bones; return bones to pan. Refrigerate chicken breast meat for another use (your Biryana)
• Simmer stock, uncovered, 3-4 hours longer. Strain; discard chicken, bones, vegetables and spices
• Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, I usually refridgerate for even 3 days as I wait for my bongo to form. Let your power loadshedding guide your time length
• Remove fat from surface

For a chicken Biryana we need theses ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or as desired
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pounded
• 1 tablespoon pounded fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• A pinch of salt or as desired
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon sticks
• 1.5 kg boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks or from 1 whole chicken
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 pinch powdered saffron
• 5 pods cardamom
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup basmati rice, remember basmati rice swells when cooked
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

• 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
• Fry onion, garlic and ginger until the onions are 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; soak for about 30mins and drain
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee)
• 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 Biryana onto a warm serving dish

* Remember the ratio of rice to water or stock I usually use is 1:2 but you can change as you are familiar with but remember not to end up having soaked rice when cooked

* You can have your chicken biryani with a fish masala or egg curry or simply with plain yorghut on the side.
* You can use your bongo to make a home made fruit yorghut or dippings
* For any spices for indian cooking, you can find in indian grocery stores, Nakasero market or Capital Shoppers supermarket around my city

Have a lovely meal