Layered aromatic rice dish with spiced chicken, potatoes, boiled eggs, and saffron, slow-cooked in a sealed pot until the flavours meld together.
Ingredients
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1kg chicken pieces
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500g basmati rice, soaked
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4 potatoes, peeled and halved
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4 boiled eggs
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2 onions, thinly sliced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 thumb ginger, grated
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2 tomatoes, chopped
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1 cup yogurt
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1 tsp saffron in 50ml warm milk
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2 tsp biryani masala
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1 tsp ground cumin
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1 tsp ground coriander
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4 cardamom pods
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4 cloves
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2 cinnamon sticks
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3 tbsp ghee
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Fresh mint and coriander leaves
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Salt to taste
Instructions
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1
Marinate chicken in yogurt, garlic, ginger, biryani masala, cumin, coriander, and salt for at least one hour.
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2
Par-cook the basmati rice in salted boiling water until seventy percent done, about six minutes. Drain well.
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3
Fry sliced onions in ghee until deep golden brown. Remove half for garnish. Add marinated chicken and cook ten minutes.
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4
Add tomatoes and potatoes, cooking five more minutes. Layer par-cooked rice over the chicken mixture.
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5
Drizzle saffron milk over the rice, scatter mint and coriander, and top with fried onions. Seal the pot tightly.
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6
Cook on very low heat for thirty-five minutes until rice is fluffy and chicken is tender. Rest five minutes before opening.
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7
Gently fold layers together, place boiled egg halves on top, and serve with achards and raita.
Did You Know?
Mauritian biryani is the centrepiece of Muslim weddings on the island, where cooks prepare enormous pots to feed hundreds of guests.