Healthier Chicken biryani
Recipe contributed by Zaki and adapted by Lucy Jessop (ANutr) for TiffinWallli
Serves 6
Total time 1 hr 30 mins
For the chicken
240g mixed vegetables, defrosted if frozen (peas, beans, carrots)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
1/2 tsp salt (for the whole recipe! – there is some salt in the spice mix)
6 cloves garlic, finely grated
80g knob root ginger, finely grated
2 tomatoes, finely chopped OR a tablespoon of tomato puree
6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 600g), fat removed, cut into 3 pieces
1 x 60g pack Shan Biryani spices (we used 30g of Bombay Biryani and 30g of Pilau
Biryani mixed to make it less spicy)
1 bay leaf
150g natural yogurt
For the rice 350g basmati and wild rice (use Tilda as this has been made to cook at the same time)
Whole spices, optional [ cook with a cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf)
To finish
5 Alubukhara (dried plums)
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
A few drops of Khewra water (rose water), optional
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
Chopped fresh coriander, toasted flaked almonds (optional), lemon wedges Raita – see separate recipe
METHOD
Remove the vegetables from the freezer, set aside to defrost. Wash the rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Leave to soak in cold water.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, non-stick deep casserole (with a lid), add the onions and a pinch of salt, and fry for 10-15 minutes until softened, increase the heat, stirring often to help them turn golden. Scoop out half to a plate for later.
Over a low-medium heat, add the garlic, ginger and tomatoes to the onions in the pan and cook stirring for 3-4 minutes, then increase the heat a little and add the chicken. Cook, stirring for a few minutes until the chicken is browned.
Then stir in the Biryani spices, cook for a further 2 minutes until aromatic.
Reduce the heat to low, stir in the yogurt and bay leaf, cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
After the chicken has cooked for 25 minutes, cook the rice in a large pan of boiling water (with a pinch of salt) for 5 minutes to par-cook. Then drain well and set aside.
After the chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, scoop it out to a bowl. Now add half of the par cooked rice, then layer over half the vegetables, reserved onions and mint, then the chicken, finishing with the remaining vegetables and finally the rice. Layer in dried plums, if using. Add the Khewra water (if using) and drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil.
Cover with a lid and allow to steam over a low heat for 10-15 minutes until the rice is fluffy.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of fresh coriander and a few toasted almonds. Serve with raita and salads.
About this recipe
Zaki’s lovely recipe was already quite healthy – so I’ve just made a few small tweaks to make it even healthier!
We used less oil and swapped ghee for healthier rapeseed oil which is much lower in saturated fat
We’ve used Wild and basmati rice which increases the fibre content compared to plain basmati – and adds a nice texture
We’ve ensured there’s a good amount of veg coming from the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and vegetables added at the end
We’ve used skinless chicken to reduce the amount of saturated fat – you could still use chicken on the bone, but we needed it to cook more quickly.
We’ve added toasted almonds as an optional topping as these provide healthy fats and lots of flavour too.
*Pukka method – used to keep a bit more control over the rice cooking time as we
are using wild and basmati
TIPS
Experiment with adding different vegetables - try folding in fresh spinach
For a vegetarian version, simmer the sauce for the time before adding the vegetables to ensure they don’t overcook and maintain their nutrients - increase the quantity of vegetables too. You could also serve this with boiled eggs
Try brown rice! It may need soaking for a while before and par boiling for 15 minutes – but could make a nice change.
Add Alubukhara (Dried plum) when layering if you like.
To make your own Biryani spice blend;
Black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, shah jeera (caraway seeds), black pepper (kabab chini) mace and nutmeg are used for the spice blend.