Brown Rice Sindhi Chicken Biryani

Brown Rice Sindhi Biryani

Chicken biryani is very popular dish in all over world now. There are several type of biryanis are made in India like Hyderabadi biryani, Dum biryani, Yakni biryani, Awadhi biryani etc. Sindhi biryani is mostly become more popular in Pakistan. It consists of chicken and potatoes cooked in yogurt gravy and layered with rice. In this recipe I used Brown Rice just to give a twist and to make it bit healthier than regular biryani. Also use of dried prunes gives this biryani unique sweet flavor. You can also try this recipe with white rice, but brown rice doesn’t alter it taste that’s for sure.

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

500 gm Chicken

1 ½ cup Brown Rice

oil as per needed

4 tbsp ghee

1 medium onion sliced

½ cup fried brown onion

3-4 medium size potatoes

1 tomato

½ cup low fat yogurt

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

5-6 dry prunes

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 cloves

8-9 black peppercorn

1 star anise

4-5 green cardamoms

1 ½ tbsp red chili powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

Salt as per taste

Pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk

Handful coriander leaves

Handful mint leaves

4-5 green chilies

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp kewra water (optional)

Direction

1. Cooked Brown rice as per direction in pot. Try not to over cook rice or it will become sticky,(I used sonamasuri brown rice, cook in 3 cup water and add 1 tsp salt, once it start boiling put on simmer to cook for 40 minutes). You can also use white rice, cook it 75% and drain the water).

2. Peel off the skin of potatoes and cut into big pieces. Half boiled potatoes in water with ½ tsp turmeric.

3. In a pan heat up 2 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil, add sliced onion and fry until it turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute.

4. Add bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, star anise sauté for some time. Add chicken and stir well on high flame for 2 minutes.

5. Once chicken get light brown in color add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and salt, sauté well .

6. Remove pan from flame and add yogurt, cook for 3-4 minutes till oil comes to surface. Add potatoes and mix well, pour ¼ cup hot water and cook chicken on medium flame until it fully cooks.

7. Once chicken cooks completely add sliced tomatoes, green chilies and prunes, stir well for a minute and keep it aside.

Assemble biryani in layers:

1. Take another pot or Handi, spread layer of chicken (no potatoes in this layer) and gravy to the bottom of pan.

2. Covered the chicken with layer of rice, sprinkle some fried onions, chopped mint, chopped coriander leaves.

3. Layered potatoes and gravy on top of rice, spread rice again on top, again sprinkle some fried onions, chopped mint, and chopped coriander leaves. (you can make more layers if you have more chicken and rice) top layer should be rice and fried onion.

4. Sprinkle saffron milk, 2 tbsp ghee, lemon juice and kewra water on top rice layer.

5. Seal the pot with flour dough and cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes.

6. Served hot with Mint and yogurt raita.