Chicken biryani with saffron and basmati rice – a festive dinner for Diwali

Biryani – the festive dish that brings everyone around the pot

This year Diwali, the festival of lights, falls on the same Sunday as Swedish Father’s Day. What could be better than a big pot of biryani in the middle of the table? Layers of fragrant rice, saffron, spiced chicken and crispy fried onions – and a lidded pot that is only opened at the table.

The secret is the rice. Amiri Super Sella basmati rice is aged to build up its aroma and has hardly any broken grains, so every grain keeps its shape even as the rice finishes steaming under the lid.

You will need (serves 4)

• 400 ml Amiri Super Sella basmati rice
• 600 g boneless chicken thighs, diced
• 200 ml cooking yoghurt or Turkish yoghurt
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 pinch (approx. 1 ml) saffron and 3 tbsp warm milk
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 100 ml cashew nuts
• Salt
• Fresh coriander and mint to serve

Method

1. Rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the yoghurt, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli, turmeric, garlic, ginger and 1 tsp salt. Stir in the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Stir the saffron into the warm milk and set aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy-based pot. Fry the onions over medium heat for about 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove half of the onions. Quickly toast the cashews in the same pot and remove them.
5. Bring plenty of salted water to the boil with the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and cumin. Cook the rice until almost done but still with some bite (see the packet for timing). Drain.
6. Add the chicken with its marinade to the pot with the remaining onions and simmer for 8–10 minutes.
7. Spread the rice over the chicken. Drizzle over the saffron milk and 1 tbsp melted ghee.
8. Put the lid on and leave over low heat for 20–25 minutes until the rice is done and the chicken is cooked through.
9. Top with the fried onions, cashews, coriander and mint. Serve straight from the pot.

Tips

• Serve with a bowl of yoghurt with cucumber and mint, and a little mango chutney on the side.
• Want a vegetarian biryani? Swap the chicken for potatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas.
• Do not lift the lid during the last 20 minutes – the steam does the work.

Allergens in the recipe: milk (yoghurt, ghee and milk) and nuts (cashews).

Celebrate the weekend with a proper festive pot. Order Amiri Super Sella basmati rice and the spices from us – and the biryani will be on the table on Sunday.