Sindhi Biryani

Sindhi Biryani

Sindhi Biryani

Ingredients for Marinade

  • Chickens 2 (biryani cut) I used two upon my hubby’s request. You can use just one)
  • Yogurt 1/2 cup
  • Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
  • Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons
  • Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
  • Salt 2 teaspoons

Ingredients for Rice

  • Long grain basmati Rice 4 cups
  • Black Peppercorns 10-12
  • Cinnamon 1 big (or 2-3 medium sticks)
  • Star anise 2
  • Cloves 5-6
  • Bay Leaf 2-3
  • Green Cardamom 4
  • Black Cardamom 2

 

Ingredients for Gravy

  • Oil 1/2 cup
  • Onions, sliced 4 very big size (or 6 medium sized)
  • Tomatoes, 4 medium sized finely chopped
  • Potatoes, 4-5 peeled and cut into chunks
  • Dried prunes, 10, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
  • Green chilies, 4, chopped
  • Yogurt, 1 cup
  • Garlic paste 2 teaspoons
  • Ginger paste 2 teaspoons
  • Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)
  • Red chili powder 1 tablespoon (or more to taste)
  • Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
  • Cloves (loang) 10
  • Green cardamoms (hari ilaichi) 4
  • Black cardamoms (kali ilaichi) 4
  • Whole black peppercorns 20
  • Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons
  • Cinnamon sticks (daar cheeni) 3-4
  • Bay leaves (tez paat) 2-3 big
  • Star Anise (baadyaan ka phool) 3
  • Saffron, 1 teaspoon, crushed and soaked in warm water
  • Oil for frying potatoes

Ingredients for Layers

  • Lemons 2-3, sliced
  • Prunes 8-10 (aaloo Bukhara), soaked in water if they are too dry, mine were not that dry therefore I did not soak them.
  • Mint chopped
  • Coriander chopped
  • Green chili thickly sliced
  • Ginger julienne cut
  • Tamarind pulp (imli soaked in water)
  • Yellow food color mixed in water

 

Instructions

  1. Take 2 chickens (biryani cut). Thoroughly clean and wash.
  2. In a bowl, add yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, chili powder and turmeric powder.
  3. Mix and marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours or preferably refrigerate overnight.  This helps tenderize the meat and builds flavour.
  4. Deep fry the potato chunks on low heat until they are fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
  5. Wash and then soak the rice for about 20-30 minutes. Boil them with black Peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, bay leaf, green cardamom and black Cardamoms. Do not cook it all the way. It should be about 80-90% cooked. Drain the water off.
  6. While the rice is cooking, heat the half cup of oil in a deep pan and then fry the onion slices until golden.
  7. Remove a quarter of the fried onions (these will be used later) and leave the rest in the pan.
  8. Add the whole spices (cumin, black and green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon and star anise) to the pan containing onions.
  9. Sauté for 1 minute and add garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for a minute until aromatic. Next, add tomatoes, prunes, turmeric, salt and red chilli powder.
  10. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are completely mushy, all the excess moisture is gone and the oil begins to release from the sides.
  11. Add chicken along with its marinade and green chilies.
  12. Allow the meat to cook in the tomato mixture for a few minutes until the chicken just changes colour, then add the whipped yoghurt plus the saffron mixture and mix well.
  13. Cover and cook until fully done. You can add water if needed while cooking.
  14. When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the flame, add fried potatoes and garam masala (1 teaspoon) and cover for a few minutes.
  15. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add about 2 tbsp salt to it and 2 tbsp oil plus a few whole spices (two pieces each of cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves). Then drain the soaked rice and add it in. Cook until the rice is 90% done.
  16. Now lets start layering, put half of the rice in a big skillet, add some lemon slices, mint, coriander, green chilies, prunes, ginger, imli pulp and yellow food color. Remember to sprinkle the reserved fried onions.
  17. Add meat on top. Repeat the process for the second layer.
  18. Cover with a tight lid and place on very low heat for about 10-15 minutes to steam. Once done, open and fluff up the biryani gently.
  19. Serve with a salad and some cool mint and cucumber raita.
  20.  Enjoy!  


Sindhi Biryani

Author: Naush

Ingredients

Chicken Marination

  • Chickens 2 (biryani cut) I used two upon my hubby’s request. You can use just one)
  • Yogurt 1/2 cup
  • Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
  • Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons
  • Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
  • Salt 2 teaspoons

Rice

  • Long grain basmati Rice 4 cups
  • Black Peppercorns 10-12
  • Cinnamon 1 big (or 2-3 medium sticks)
  • Star anise 2
  • Cloves 5-6
  • Bay Leaf 2-3
  • Green Cardamom 4
  • Black Cardamom 2

Gravy

  • Oil 1/2 cup
  • Onions, sliced 4 very big size (or 6 medium sized)
  • Tomatoes, 4 medium sized finely chopped
  • Potatoes, 4-5 peeled and cut into chunks
  • Dried prunes, 10, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
  • Green chilies, 4, chopped
  • Yogurt, 1 cup
  • Garlic paste 2 teaspoons
  • Ginger paste 2 teaspoons
  • Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)
  • Red chili powder 1 tablespoon (or more to taste)
  • Turmeric powder ½ teaspoon
  • Cloves (loang) 10
  • Green cardamoms (hari ilaichi) 4
  • Black cardamoms (kali ilaichi) 4
  • Whole black peppercorns 20
  • Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons
  • Cinnamon sticks (daar cheeni) 3-4
  • Bay leaves (tez paat) 2-3 big
  • Star Anise (baadyaan ka phool) 3
  • Saffron, 1 teaspoon, crushed and soaked in warm water
  • Oil for frying potatoes

Ingredients for Layers

  • Lemons 2-3, sliced
  • Prunes 8-10 (aloo Bukhara), soaked in water if they are too dry, mine were not that dry therefore I did not soak them.
  • Mint chopped
  • Coriander chopped
  • Green chili thickly sliced
  • Ginger julienne cut
  • Tamarind pulp (imli soaked in water)
  • Yellow food color mixed in water

Instructions

  • Take 2 chickens (biryani cut). Thoroughly clean and wash.
  • In a bowl, add yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, chili powder and turmeric powder.
  • Mix and marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours or preferably refrigerate overnight.  This helps tenderize the meat and builds flavour.
  • Deep fry the potato chunks on low heat until they are fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
  • Wash and then soak the rice for about 20-30 minutes. Boil them with black Peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, bay leaf, green cardamom and black Cardamoms. Do not cook it all the way. It should be about 80-90% cooked. Drain the water off.
  • While the rice is cooking, heat the half cup of oil in a deep pan and then fry the onion slices until golden.
  • Remove a quarter of the fried onions (these will be used later) and leave the rest in the pan.
  • Add the whole spices (cumin, black and green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon and star anise) to the pan containing onions.
  • Sauté for 1 minute and add garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for a minute until aromatic. Next, add tomatoes, prunes, turmeric, salt and red chilli powder.
  • Cover and cook until the tomatoes are completely mushy, all the excess moisture is gone and the oil begins to release from the sides.
  • Add chicken along with its marinade and green chilies.
  • Allow the meat to cook in the tomato mixture for a few minutes until the chicken just changes colour, then add the whipped yoghurt plus the saffron mixture and mix well.
  • Cover and cook until fully done. You can add water if needed while cooking.
  • When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the flame, add fried potatoes and garam masala (1 teaspoon) and cover for a few minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add about 2 tbsp salt to it and 2 tbsp oil plus a few whole spices (two pieces each of cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves). Then drain the soaked rice and add it in. Cook until the rice is 90% done.
  • Now lets start layering, put half of the rice in a big skillet, add some lemon slices, mint, coriander, green chilies, prunes, ginger, imli pulp and yellow food color. Remember to sprinkle the reserved fried onions.
  • Add meat on top. Repeat the process for the second layer.
  • Cover with a tight lid and place on very low heat for about 10-15 minutes to steam. Once done, open and fluff up the biryani gently.
  • Serve with a salad and some cool mint and cucumber raita.
  •  Enjoy!  


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