Briyani Rice

This family favourite is the perfect dish to serve up for family and friends on special occassions, or weekend parties.A family favourite for all occasions, briyani rice is often a hit with the young and old, and can be enjoyed with your side-dish of choice, or even just some refreshing raita.

Serving: 8 people
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients for briyani rice:
6 cups long grain Basmathi rice – washed and drained
1 can evaporated milk – made up to 7½ cups of liquid
4 tablespoons of ghee
80g butter
2 onions – sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup cashew nuts (salted or unsalted)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for chicken curry:
16 pieces of chicken
3 potatoes - cut into 6 each
6cm ginger
6 cloves garlic
2 onions - sliced
a few sprigs of coriander leaves - washed and cut into 6cm lengths
4 tablespoons meat curry powder
3 tablespoons kurma curry powder
1 can evaporated milk diluted with three cans of water
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Put together:
one cinnamon stick
three pods cardamom
three cloves and
one star anise

Method:

1. In a pot, heat the ghee and butter together, then sauté the cinnamon stick, onion and cashew nuts.

2. When fragrant, add the liquid and salt. Cover and let it simmer until the liquid comes to a rolling boil.

3. Add the rice and cover. Let the rice cook until it dries up and the grains are fluffy. Set aside.

4. For the chicken curry, blend the ginger and garlic into a smooth paste. Heat the cooking oil and saute the onions, ginger and garlic paste until aromatic with the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and star anise.

5. Add the curry powders, salt and about half can water. Let the mixture cook until oil resurfaces.

6. Add the chicken, potatoes and remaining diluted evaporated milk. Let the gravy simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.

4. Now in another big pot, alternate the chicken and rice, adding one spoon of gravy for every 3cm layer of rice. Mix together gently, making sure the chicken is not smashed and the rice not broken.

5. Let the concoction cook on a small fire for about half an hour before you serve the briyani with the raita and remaining gravy with potatoes.

*If you'd like to share your recipes with other cooking enthusiasts, send them in to [email protected].