https://youtu.be/o1l7Ni2awvA

The quickest way to make biryani is to use the ready made biryani spice mix packets, and one of my favourites is the Laziza Biryani Spice Mix. The result is an aromatic, delicious biryani, and you can use the spice mix for whatever kind of biryani you like, from chicken to fish to veg.

Serves 8 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients Required:

• 1 kg Chicken/Lamb/Fish/Other
• 1/3 Packet Laziza Biryani Spice Mix
• 2 Medium Onions (Sliced)
• 4 Tomatoes (Chopped)
• 2 tablespoons Garlic and Ginger Paste (or similar)
• 1 cup Yoghurt (beaten)
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 500g Basmati Rice
• 1/2 cup Chopped Coriander (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 cup Olive Oil (or similar)
• 3 Boiled Eggs, Sliced (Optional)

Method:

To prepare the biryani curry:

• Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to remove the starch.
• Add the oil to a large pan on a high heat. Add in the onions and fry until golden brown and soft.
• Add in the tomatoes, garlic & ginger paste and approx. a third of one packet of Laziza Biryani Spice Mix. If you can handle more spice, feel free to add more than a third of the packet.
• Add in your chosen meat/fish/veg. I added chicken to my biryani
• Mix everything well and allow the meat/fish/veg to cook for 5 minutes on a medium/high heat.
• Stir in the yoghurt and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Cover the met/fish/veg with water, turn to a high heat and bring to the boil. For chicken, 1 cup of water is enough (as chicken has high water content), for lamb use 2 cups of water.
• Once boiling, allow to simmer on a low heat with the pan lid on for 30 minutes (for chicken) or 45 minutes (for lamb). Adjust timings for fish/veg.

To prepare the rice:

• Drain and rinse the soaked rice.
• Boil water in a large pan/kettle.
• Add the rice to a large pan on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of salt and pour over 1 litre of boiling water. Give the rice a stir.
• Once the rice pan is boiling, turn to a low heat and cook for 10-12 minutes or until rice is cooked.

To assemble the biryani:

• Place half the cooked rice onto a large tray/plate and leave aside.
• Evenly spread the rice left in the pan.
• Layer the chicken pieces over the rice, and pour over the curry sauce. Use some/all of the sauce depending on your taste. For a thicker sauce, dry off the curry on a high heat until happy with the curry (before pouring over the rice)
• Evenly layer the rice in the tray/plate over the chicken pieces.
• Garnish with the coriander and sliced eggs.

Serve with raita (yoghurt salad) and enjoy 🙂