I have always been in awe of people who can make Briyani. My dad can make it in his sleep. I tried getting the recipe out of him, but that was like trying to dig for gold in my backyard. Hopeless and a waste of time.

He can’t cook with measurements it’s a little of that a little of this. From previous experience I have discovered his little and my little are veryyyyy different. His little is like my ¼ cup so you see where the difficulty comes in. Besides when ever I ask him to teach me, he makes the biryani when I am not around… defeats the purpose I tell you.

A while back, I taught myself how to make veggie biryani and today I adapted that recipe and used a chicken marinade I found on the internet to make my first ever chicken biryani.

Boy oh boy was it finger licking good. All I can say is that my dad has competition in the biryani department.

Ingredients for the marinade

• 125g x buttermilk.
• 1 x tsp turmeric powder.
• 2 x tsp ginger and garlic paste.
• 2 x tbsp. dhania powder.
• 2 x tsp jeera powder.
• 1 x tsp masala.
• The juice of 1 lemon.
• 2 x tsp salt.

Method:

• Using a spoon, mix everything till well combined.
• Add your cubed chicken pieces.

• Mix so that the chicken is nicely coated.
• Cover with cling wrap and pop into the fridge overnight to marinade.

Ingredients for the biryani.

• 2kg x chicken fillet cut into cubes.
• 7 x medium pototes, peeled and quartered.
• 3 x cups raw rice, soaked in water over night.
• 2 x cinnamon sticks.
• 3 x bay leaves.
• 3 x aniseed.
• 500g x homemade par boiled lentils or 2 tins of store bought par boiled lentils
• 1 x cup double beans.
• 1 x cup gadra beans.
• 1 x tsp jeera seeds
• Season with salt.
• 1 x tsp turmeric powder.
• 2 x tsp Briayni masala.
• 1 x tbsp. masala.
• 1 x tsp garam masala.
• 1 x onion, finely chopped.
• 1 x onion, finely chopped.

Method for the biryani:

• Heat a pot with some oil on the stove.
• Add the jeera seeds, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and aniseed, allow to fry for a couple of minutes till you can start to smell the jeera.
• Add the chopped onions and salt and fry till the onions start to brown.
• Add the gadra and double beans as well as the lentils, mix well.
• Add the spices and the chopped tomatoe, mix so that the spices coat everything.
• Add the marinated chicken as well as the left over marinade in the bowl.
• Mix well and add the quartered potatoes.
• Add the drain rice and mix well so that everything is coated.
• Add enough water to cover the rice, cover and allow to cook till the rice is soft. You can add more water as you need till the rice is ready.
• When the rice is cooked.
• Line a oven proof dish with foil and place the biryani into the dish. Cover the top with foil.
• Pop into a preheated oven and allow to steam at 150 degrees for 60 – 90 minutes.

• Serve with buttermilk and enjoy