Biryani Curry Paste - Place the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in the blender and blits to form a rough paste. This can be smooth or chunky depending on how long you blend it for. Both ways work well.
Add olive oil to pan and tip in the blended onion mix. Cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously to ensure it doesn't burn.
now add the rest of the spices and continue to stir for a further 4 minutes.
Mix the yoghurt and the paste together. I didn't and realized afterwards that its less fuss doing this together rather than spreading the paste then adding the yoghurt.
Chicken Crackling - Optional- At this point you may want to remove the chicken skin and make chicken crackling -I pulled the skin off the thigh Add salt and pepper to the skin, lay flat between 2 sheets baking paper bake 12 min in pre heated oven at 180°C. Viola chicken crackling. Or use an airfryer if you have one.Drain on Carlton wrap. Use as garnish If you don't feel like the fuss proceed to next step. I have to say it's really delicious if you do decide to give it a try. Spread the biryani yoghurt paste over each thigh. Place in a glass dish and leave for 2-3 hours to marinade. You can leave for longer in the fridge. If you want to make this in the evening, do this part before you go to work in the morning. It will be ready to cook when you get home. (Just remember my tip about getting it to room temperature first before you cook it. Chicken is tough when cooked cold.)
Caramelized onions - Put a pan on moderate heat Add the olive oil Fry until brown and golden and sweet. About 10 minutes. Stir often to ensure they don’t burn set aside until ready to assemble biryani
In a small bowl add the saffron and the warm milk and leave to infuse while the rice is cooking ( next step). Add the rose water to the saffron milk. Set aside until ready to sprinkle over the biryani basmati rice.
In a large saucepan add the water and all the herbs and spices except the rice to the pot. Bring to the boil for about 5 min now add the rice and hard boil for 10 minutes. Drain water and set aside rice and aromatics to cool and continue infusing
Get the glass dish with the marinading chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs on both sides. Add 2 Tbls of olive oil to the pan used to cook the onions add 5-6 pieces of the chicken skin side down, unless you removed it to make the crackling, and batch fry to crisp up the skin or seal the meat. Assembling the Biryani In a heavy based pot, I used my big 28cm Le Creuset, place the thighs again skin side down (unless you removed the skin to make crackling , then its better bone side down, but not critical either way)) on the base of the pot. Add a bit of water to the frying pan used to sear the chicken. Deglaze the pan and pour in all the flavour over the chicken Now sprinkle the drained basmati rice with the aromatics over the thighs
Next spoon over the saffron and rose water milk , Top with the onions
Wet a clean kitchen dish towel with water, cover the pot with the dish towel ,
place the lid on top and fold the dish towel over the lid ensuring it doesn’t dangle near the flames of the gas stove.
Place an a very low heat, ensuring that the rice and chicken will gently steam not boil for 90 minutes.
Serve with sambals
Make sambles Extra Chilli sauce for those who prefer a bit more punch Minted yogurt Sliced banana Mrs Balls Churney Chopped onion and tomato corriander
