Chicken Biryani

Step 1
Start by marinating the chicken. In a large bowl combine the yoghurt, garam masala, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the marinade and mix to coat well using your hands or tongs. Set aside to marinate.

Step 2
Next, parboil the rice. Bring a medium pot with 1.5 litres of water to the boil. Add the rice, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, curry powder, and salt, stir then cook for only 5 minutes. Drain, discard the cinnamon stick bay leaf, and set aside.

Step 3
Meanwhile prepare the onion mix ingredients and green beans. Thinly slice the onions, finely grate the ginger and mince the garlic. Remove the tops from the green beans and set aside,

Step 4
In a large casserole pot with a lid, heat the sunflower oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute for 10 minutes until soft and just starting to caramelise. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Remove the onion mix, leaving any excess oil in the pot, and set aside in a small bowl.

Step 5
Add the chicken thighs to the pot, skin side-up. Cook for about 5 minutes until well browned.

Step 6
Flip the chicken over so that it’s skin-side down. Arrange the chicken thighs evenly across the bottom of the pot in one layer. They should fit snugly with almost no gaps between them. Spread the onion mix on top of the chicken in an even layer, then add the drained parboiled rice on top. Use the back of a spoon to spread the rice into an even layer. The chicken should be completely buried under the rice,

Step 7
Add 1/2 cup of water and cover with the lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is almost cooked through.

Step 8
Remove the lid from the pot, add the green beans on top of the rice, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Cover with the lid again and let the green beans steam for another 5 minutes until tender and bright green. The rice will finish cooking completely in this time.

Step 9
While the biryani is cooking make the mint yoghurt. Pick the mint leaves from the stems and thinly slice. Add to a small bowl and mix through the yoghurt with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 10
Using tongs, remove the green beans from the pot and set aside on a plate. Place a large serving plate upside down over the pot, and quickly but carefully flip the biryani pot onto the plate. The pot might need a little jiggle and a few taps with a wooden spoon to help release the chicken. Don’t worry if the chicken gets a little stuck to the bottom of the pot, just take the chicken pieces out with tongs and place on top of the rice. Make sure you scrap off any nice brown bits that stick on the bottom too – they will be delicious!

Step 11
Serve with the steamed green beans and the mint yoghurt.