Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt and pepper
CHICKEN AND RICE
10 cardamom pods, preferably green, smashed
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, sliced into 1⁄2-inch-thick rounds, and smashed
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seeds
12 cups water
Salt and pepper
4 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, halved and sliced thin
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-1⁄4 cups basmati rice
1⁄2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1⁄4 cup dried currants or raisins
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instructions

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE: Combine yogurt, garlic, cilantro, and mint in bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. (Sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
FOR THE CHICKEN AND RICE: Wrap cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cumin seeds in small piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. Bring water, spice bundle, and 1-1⁄2 teaspoons salt to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer until spices have infused water, at least 15 minutes (but no longer than 30 minutes).
Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and dark brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl, season with salt to taste, and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
Brown chicken thighs, skin side down, in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if pan begins to scorch. Flip chicken skin side up and continue to cook until lightly browned on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and remove and discard skin. Tent loosely with aluminum foil.
If necessary, return spice-infused water to boil; add rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice through fine-mesh strainer, reserving 3⁄4 cup cooking liquid; discard spice bundle. Transfer rice to medium bowl and stir in saffron and currants (rice will turn splotchy yellow).
Spread half of rice evenly in bottom of now-empty saucepan using rubber spatula. Scatter half of onion mixture over rice, then place chicken thighs, skinned side up, on top of onions; add any accumulated chicken juices. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro and mint, scatter remaining onion mixture over herbs, then cover with remaining rice. Pour reserved cooking liquid evenly over rice.
Cover saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes (if large amount of steam is escaping from pot, reduce heat to low).
Run heatproof rubber spatula around inside rim of saucepan to loosen any affixed rice. Using large serving spoon, spoon biryani into individual bowls, scooping from bottom of pot. Serve, passing yogurt sauce separately.

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

Instructions

Tags

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