Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 15 of 20 ingredients — the other 5 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 15 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Cardamom | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 6 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Cashew Nut | not in our table | 0 |
| Peppermint | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Ghee | not in our table | 0 |
| Saffron | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken , preferably in 16 pieces, and a couple of drumsticks
- 1 kg Basmati rice
- 1 cup finely- chopped onions
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 tsp chile powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 100 g cashew nuts
- 4–5 bay leaves
- 4–5 cloves
- 2 cm -long cinnamon sticks
- 6–10 green chiles , ground to paste
- 3–4 cardamom pods
- 1–2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 lemon
- 1½ tsp salt (or according to taste)
- 1 cup ghee
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup oil
- 2 tsp dried coconut powder
- A few strands of saffron
- 2 cups finely- sliced onions
Directions
Make deep incisions in the chicken flesh. They should be deep enough for spices to get absorbed, but not so deep that they could render the pieces smaller.
Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the chicken, and let marinate for an hour.
Heat about 100 ml of oil in a pan. Add cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally onions. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add mint leaves.
When onions turn slightly brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20–30 minutes. It should not be fully cooked at this stage.
Add garam masala and coconut powder. Remove from the heat when about ¾ cooked. There should not be much sauce, and the chicken pieces should look roasted.
Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, then add half as much water as rice by volume and 1–2 teaspoons salt. Cook until half done, preferably in an electric cooker. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
Place about half the semi-cooked rice in it a heat-safe pot or dish about 12 inches (300 mm) in diameter. Next, layer half of the chicken on it, and top with half the remaining rice. Add the remaining chicken, then the rest of the rice.
Heat oil, and deep fry half the sliced onions until golden brown. Similarly fry the cashews. Garnish the top rice layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander.
Cover the dish well. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat. The flame should not be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then rotate the vessel to heat another part of its circumference. In this way, keep rotating the vessel every 2–3 minutes for about 20 minutes. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents with a shake/jerk so prevent the settling of ghee at the bottom.
Remove from the heat, and wait for about 10 minutes before uncovering.
Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy.