How to make: Chicken and prawn biryani

27 October 2013 - 02:03 By Asha Maharaj
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Chicken and prawn biryani.
Chicken and prawn biryani.
Image: Supplied

Add depth and flavour to chicken biryani with a touch of the sea, says Asha Maharaj.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 chicken portions (thighs and drumsticks)

Marinade:

250ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt

15ml (1 tbsp) garlic paste

15ml (1 tbsp) ginger paste

60ml (4 tbsp) roasted masala

15ml (1 tbsp) garam masala

125ml (½ cup) tomato purée

Rice and lentils:

300g (1½ cups) basmati rice

10ml (2 tsp) salt

2 bay leaves

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

125ml (½ cup) brown lentils

Other:

3 potatoes, peeled and quartered

Salt

5ml (1 tsp) yellow food colouring

Oil, for deep-frying

185ml (¾ cup) ghee

1 large onion, sliced

15ml (1 tbsp) fennel seeds

7 curry leaves

12 prawns, heads off and deveined

125ml (½ cup) chopped fresh mint and coriander

Method:

1) Remove the skin from the chicken portions and place in a large bowl. Combine all the marinade ingredients, pour over the chicken and set aside to marinate.

 

2) Combine the rice, salt, bay leaves and spices. Cover with 500ml (2 cups) water, bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain.

3) Rinse lentils and boil separately until cooked but firm. Drain.

4) Toss potatoes in salt and food colouring until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan and fry the potatoes till crisp.

6) Remove potatoes, heat ghee in the same pan and fry the onion till soft.

7) Add the fennel seeds, curry leaves, chicken with its marinade, prawns, rice, lentils, potatoes and chopped fresh herbs and stir to mix.

8) Cover with a lid and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 30 minutes.

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