Topic: Biryani recipe from Dishoom book

[Robbo141]

This week I made this dish and it was wonderful.  The aroma when I broke the seal after baking was so good.  Definitely worth the effort.  This Dishoom book is full of beautiful looking recipes and I plan to work steadily through as many as I can.


Robbo

[Secret Santa]

From the PDF version:

CHICKEN BERRY BRITANNIA
This chicken biryani is our homage to Britannia’s chicken berry pulao, using
cranberries in place of the more authentic Persian barberries, which are tricky to find.
(Despite much cajoling, Mr Kohinoor has never shared his wife’s famous recipe.) It is
prepared in the kacchi style, originating from Hyderabad, in which marinated raw
meat goes into the pot, to be cooked at the same time as the rice.
SERVES 4–6
˜
FOR THE RICE
300g basmati rice
2 tsp fine sea salt
Juice of ½ lime
FOR THE BASE
500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, each cut into 3 pieces
20g ginger paste
25g garlic paste
1½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp lime juice
100g full-fat Greek yoghurt
30ml vegetable oil
3 green chillies, each cut into 4 long strips
3cm fresh root ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
1 quantity crispy fried onions
6 large mint leaves, chopped
5g coriander leaves, chopped
FOR THE TOPPING
20g unsalted butter
3 tbsp double cream
1 quantity saffron water (here)
35g dried cranberries


1.Firstly, soak the rice. To do this, put the rice into a large bowl and cover generously
with water. Using your fingers, gently move the rice around in the water to
remove the starch, being careful not to break up the grains. Allow the rice to
settle, then pour off the water. Repeat twice with fresh water, then cover again
with fresh water and leave to soak for 45 minutes.
2.For the base, place the chicken in a bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients together,
add to the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate
until you are ready to assemble the dish.
3.Heat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Drain the rice when the soaking time is
up. Pour 2 litres boiling water into a large pan and add the salt and lime juice.
4.Transfer the chicken and marinade to your biryani cooking pot (see here) and place
over a low heat to warm through while you cook the rice.
5.Tip the drained rice into the boiling water and stir well. Boil for 4–5 minutes until
the rice is three-quarters cooked. You can tell when the rice has reached this stage
by taking a grain between your forefinger and thumb, and pressing down on it
with your nail; it should still be slightly firm and break into 5 or 6 pieces. Drain
the rice; you don’t need to shake it dry as a little extra moisture helps during
cooking. Place it in the biryani pot, on top of the chicken.
6.In a small pan, or in the microwave, warm the butter and cream until the butter
melts. Mix together, then trickle over the rice, followed by the saffron water.
Scatter the cranberries over the top.
7.Cover tightly with two layers of foil. Place over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, until the
foil puffs up and you see a little steam start to escape. Put the lid on, transfer to
the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes. Let the biryani stand, still covered, for 10
minutes before serving.



The lamb biryani sounds more appealing though

AWADHI LAMB BIRYANI
This biryani is prepared in the pakki style, in which the lamb is cooked before going
into the pot, resulting in tender meat and a delicious, rich gravy that infuses the rice as
the biryani bakes. The method has two stages: making a base stew with the lamb,
which you can do ahead (see note), before assembling the biryani.
If you wish to make an even grander dish, use a mix of lamb cuts on the bone, such as
ribs, sliced shank and saddle.


And here's a tip I'd never expect to see for sheekh kebabs

If you’re unable to buy lamb suet and your lamb mince is quite lean, processed cheese
slices are a secret trick that will add a welcome richness.

[Robbo141]

Yes that lamb dish is definitely on my short list. Along with my very favorite lunch, pau Bhaji.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Not hear of pau bhaji before, so now reading all about it in the Dishoom book ...

[mickdabass]

Hi Phil

Have you got a link for the Dishoom Book?

TIA

Mick

[Peripatetic Phil]

Sent via PM, Mick.
--
** Phil.

[mickdabass]

I made this yesterday and really enjoyed it.
I will definitely make it again.
Thanks for sharing

Regards
Mick