Salome’s Chicken Biryani

This dish is served with apple mango chutney and curried bananas. In India, spices are blended for each dish.

Chicken

    2 tablespoons canola oil
    1 chicken, cut into pieces
    2 cups chopped yellow onion
    2 teaspoons salt
    4 dried red chiles (chile de árbol)
    2 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
    2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
    1 cup water
    1 cup whole milk
    4 sticks cinnamon, halved
    2 dried bay leaves
    2 ½ teaspoons ground coriander seeds
    2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin seeds
    1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
    ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
    ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
    2 tablespoons mild curry powder

Rice

    1 cup reserved juice
    3 cups water
    2 cups uncooked basmati rice
    2 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Toppings

    Flaked coconut and raisins
    Apple Mango Chutney
    Curried Bananas

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 5-quart sauté pan, heat oil over
     medium heat. Brown chicken and place in a 4-quart casserole.

2.  Fry onions. Grind salt and chiles and add to the onions with
     the garlic, ginger, water, milk, cinnamon and bay leaves,
     coriander, cumin, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, allspice,
     mustard, paprika, fenugreek and curry powder. Pour over
     chicken; cover and bake for 1 ½ hours.

3.  Remove from the oven and place the chicken on a platter.
     Reserve 1 cup juice, put in rice cooker. Add 3 cups water,
     rice, butter and lemon juice. Cover and turn cooker on.

4.  In the meantime, remove meat from bones using two forks.  
     Place chicken meat in small bowl and keep warm.

5.  To complete bryani, stir the chicken into cooked rice. Serve
     topped with bananas, coconut, then raisins and chutney.

     Hint: Return bones, skin and remaining juices to casserole.
     Make stock for Mulligatawny Soup by adding 4
     cups water; bake covered in preheated 350
° oven 2 hours.
     Strain and refrigerate, discard all the bones and skin.
 
     Makes 4 servings