Chicken Biryani or Koh Yao No or Muslim Yellow Rice And Chicken
Recipe adapted from a cooking class Cape Kudu, Thailand
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight marinating time
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves 8-10 people
- 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt
- 1kg/2.2lbs boneless chicken thighs (skin on or off)
- 1/3 cup oil
- 4.5 cups chicken stock
- 100g/3.5ozs. butter
- 2 golden shallots, peeled and diced
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Step 1 - In a dry pan, roast the turmeric, curry powder, black pepper, coriander, caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg and bay leaves. Then place in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and blitz until fine. Divide in equal portions.
Step 2 - Mix one half of the spice mix with the yogurt and coat the chicken pieces all over. Marinate for 6 hours or overnight preferably. Bring the chicken to room temperature 1 or 2 hours before you cook it.
Step 3 - The next day add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a pan and brown the chicken, adding more oil when needed. If it sticks to the bottom then deglaze with the chicken stock. Then add the butter to the pan and fry the shallots (don't worry, there is a lot of butter for the shallots), then add the rice and the remaining half of the roasted spice mixture, the sugar and salt and coat the rice well.
Step 4 - Place half of the rice mixture on the base of a rice cooker or large pot and then place half of the chicken thighs on top and repeat with the remaining rice and chicken. Pour over the chicken stock (I also make sure to use the chicken stock to get any scrapings of spiced yogurt in the bowl and the spices at the bottom of the pan). Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the rice cooker automatically turns off.