From: ekman@netcom.com (Crossly the Glad-Eyed Bear)
Subject: Re: REQUEST Biriyani (sp?)
Status: RO
Apparently-To: rec-food-recipes@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Organization: Home for the Terminally Infirm
Distribution: rec
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:19:16 GMT

I don't suppose this one will pass without a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey,
so here it is, just to get it over with.  She calls for long-grain rice,
probably as a concession Americans whom she supposes can't find basmati.

    ***************************
    ***** Chicken Biryani *****
    ***************************

    Categories: Chicken         Indian          Main dish      

    Calories     per serving:             Number of Servings:   6
    Fat grams    per serving:              Approx. Cook Time:      
    Cholesterol  per serving:                          Marks:     

    INGREDIENTS ------------------------------------------------------------

       6        ea    onions, medium sized                              
       4        ea    garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped        
       1        piece ginger, 2 inches long, peeled and chopped         
       10       ea    cloves, whole                                     
       20       ea    peppercorns, black, whole                         
                      seeds from 8 whole cardamom pods                  
       1/4      tsp   ground cinnamon                                   
       1        tsp   coriander, ground                                 
       1        tsp   cumin ground                                      
       1        tsp   poppy seeds, whole                                
       1/4      tsp   mace, ground                                      
       4 1/2    tsp   salt                                              
       3        Tbsp  lemon juice                                       
       8        oz    plain yogurt                                      
       8        Tbsp  vegetable oil                                     
       2        ea    bay leaves                                        
       4        ea    cardamoms, large, black (if available)            
       2        lb    chicken legs and breasts                          
       2        tsp   leaf saffron, roasted and crumbled                
       2        Tbsp  milk                                              
       2        cup   long-grain rice                                   

                      **** Garnish ****                                 
       2        Tbsp  golden raisins, fried                             
       2        Tbsp  blanched almonds                                  
       2        ea    eggs, hard-boiled, sliced or quartered            

    DIRECTIONS  ------------------------------------------------------------

    Biryani is perhaps one of our most elaborate rice dishes.  Of Moghul  
    origin, it is cooked with lamb or chicken, streaked with saffron, and 
    garnished with raisins and nuts.  The chicken is first marinated for  
    at least 2 hours in a delicious paste of ginger, garlic, onions,      
    yogurt, lemon juice, and spices.  It is then cooked briefly.  Partially
    cooked rice is placed over it, and the chicken and rice are allowed to
    steam for about an hour.                                              
                                                                          
    First you have to make the marinade for the chicken.                  
                                                                          
    Peel and coarsely chop 3 of the onions.  Place chopped onion, garlic, 
    and ginger in an electric blender, along with the cloves, peppercorns,
    the seeds only from the 8 cardamoms, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, poppy
    seeds, mace, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the lemon juice.  Blend all of 
    these at high speed until you have a smooth paste.  Place this paste  
    in a large bowl.  Add the yogurt and mix well.                        
                                                                          
    Now peel the 3 remaining onions.  Slice them into very fine rings, and
    halve all the rings.                                                  
                                                                          
    In a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium flame.  
    When hot, add the bay leaves and 4 black cardamoms.  Fry for about 10 
    to 15 seconds.  Now put in the onions and fry them, stirring, for     
    about 10 minutes or until they get brown and crisp (but not burned).  
    Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon, squeezing out as much of  
    the oil as possible.  Reserve all the onion-flavored oil, the black   
    cardamoms, and the bay leaves.  You will need them later.  Mix in     
    two-thirds of the fried onions with the marinade paste.  Place the    
    rest on a paper towel to drain.  Set aside for garnishing.            
                                                                          
    Remove skin from the chicken legs and breasts.  Cut the legs into two 
    pieces each (drumstick and thigh), and quarter all the breasts. Pierce
    the chicken pieces with a fork and place in the bowl with the marinade
    paste.  Mix well.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2      
    hours.  Turn occasionally.                                            
                                                                          
    After 2 hours (or more), remove the bowl from the refrigerator and    
    place all its contents in a 3-4-quart heavy-bottomed pot.  Bring     
    slowly to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove
    only the chicken pieces, place them in a 5-quart casserole dish, and  
    cover.  Set aside.  On a medium flame, boil down the marinade paste,  
    stirring, until you have about 9 to 10 tablespoons left.  Spoon the    
    paste over the chicken.  Cover again.                                 
                                                                          
    Preheat oven to 300 F.                                                
                                                                          
    Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons hot (not boiling) milk.             
                                                                          
    Bring about 13 cups water with 3 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a     
    4-quart pot, then add the rice.  After it has come to a boil again,    
    cook 5 minutes, timing very carefully (the rice must not cook         
    through).  Drain the rice in a colander, then place it on top of the  
    chicken in the casserole.  Pour the saffron milk over the rice,       
    streaking it with orange lines.  Spoon out the onion-flavored oil from
    the pan, reserving a level tablespoon to fry the raisins if you like. 
    Sprinkle the oil, cardamom, and bay leaves over the rice.  Cover the   
    casserole dish with aluminum foil, cut 2 inches wider than the rim of 
    the dish.  Now put the lid on and use the protuding foil edges to seal
    the dish as best you can by crinkling it and pushing it against the   
    sides.  Bake 1 hour.                                                  
                                                                          
    Garnishes: There are several garnishes that can ber used for biryani; 
    you can use them all, or only what you like, but the fried onions are 
    a must.  If you wish to use raisins, you can fry them in a tablespoon 
    of the onion-flavored oil just after you have fried the onions.       
                                                                          
    To serve: As you lift the cover off your casserole dish, you will see 
    beautiful saffron streaks on the white rice.  Spoon the rice and      
    chicken out onto a large platter.  Sprinkle fried onions and other    
    garnishes of your choice over, and serve hot.  With biryani, serve    
    Koftas and some yogurt dish--Yogurt with Tiny Dumplings, or Yogurt    
    with Potatoes.  If you wish to serve a vegetable, Cauliflower with    
    Ginger and Chinese Parsley would be very good.                        
                                                                          
    Biryani is quite definitely not an everyday dish.  It is served at    
    weddings and important dinners.  Try serving it at a late supper      
    party.  It was, and is, a dish worthy of a king.                      
                                                                          
    Note:  Ideally, saffron stigmas, or "leaf" saffron, should be lightly 
    roasted in a hot skillet, crumbled, and allowed to soak in a          
    tablespoon or so of warm milk for half an hour before being used.     

    Source: Madhur Jaffrey                
-- 
Crossly the Glad-Eyed Bear              ekman@netcom.com
Home for the Terminally Infirm, Redwood City, California

Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes