Biryani

One of the great things about being a military family is that you get to live all over. Though we were never stationed abroad, we lived in seven different places during the fifteen years between when I met my husband and when he retired. One of our favorites was the Washington DC area because of the plethora of choices in international cuisine. 

When we move to middle Georgia, we were a bit saddened because the level of choice declined precipitously, so imagine our surprise when we came across The Metropolis Grill. This little place covers a huge portion of the world in its cuisine, ranging from Greek to Indian, but they do it all well. It was there that I finally had a tzatziki that I like (it is usually too tart for me - now I use sour cream instead of yogurt to make it and it is AMAZING!). 

It was also there that I was introduced to biryani. There are many, many varieties of biryani out there. This one is pretty basic, but oh so delicious... and quite easy to make! It can easily fit into a weeknight rotation. 

There is a bit of chopping and a little bit of grating involved and then you walk away for 20 minutes. Then, poof! Dinner is ready. First, you need to prep the veggies. This is a dish that is a bit of a blank canvas. Feel free to add additional veggies and spice as suits your family. Some of us here have a bit of a sensitivity to hot spicy, so this is pretty mild as it is written.

You definitely want to use chicken thighs in this recipe. Since the chicken cooks while browning first and then also cooks with the rice, you don't want to use chicken breast because it would dry out so badly. The fattiness of the thighs is perfect for this dish. Slice them into fairly small bits so they distribute evenly in the rice when done. I suggest 1-2 pounds of chicken in this dish; use your judgement depending on how "meaty" you want the final product to be.

After you soften and brown the vegetable and meat, you mix together the flavor base, which includes a fair amount of ground ginger. I keep pieces of peeled ginger in the freezer so that it is always ready to go when I need it. When I tried to keep it on hand fresh all the time, it was always going bad. This way, I never waste any and grating it with a Microplane results in the perfect ginger paste. Measuring the amount can be a bit tedious, so I always just kind of eyeball it. It doesn't have to be exact!

Once you have the sauce mixed, bring it to a boil and dump in the basmati rice and then spread the veggies and meat on top. Put the lid on, turn it on low, and walk away for 20 minutes. 

You will be amazed at the fluffy, delicious dish that awaits you when you return. It is also excellent as leftovers, so feel free to double the recipe if you wish. I forgot to the time I made this for the photos, but I also like to add chopped fresh or frozen parsley at the last minute before serving.

Biryani
Yield: 4 large servings

1 large onion, cut in small slices
1/2 - 1 green bell pepper, cut in small slices
1 large clove garlic, minced or grated
2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
1-2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced small

2 1/2 cup water
3 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS fresh ginger, grated into a paste
1 TBS smoked paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt, plus to taste
1 1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed

Heat a large Dutch oven with the ghee and sauté the vegetables until soft and browned. A bit of browning is important for the overall flavor development of the final dish, so don't be shy here. Remove the veggies into a bowl temporarily while you then brown the meat. Again, try to develop some good color. The nice thing about thighs is that you can forego the "small batches" method of sauteing and let them steam cook initially; eventually, the liquid will all evaporate and then you can easily get some nice color on them without worrying about the meat drying out or getting really tough. Remove the cooked meat to the bowl as well briefly.

Add the water to the hot pan and use it to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, if necessary. Add the tomato and seasonings and let the mixture come to a boil. Add the rice, stir once, put the mixed veggies and meat on top, and put on the cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, remove from the heat and let sit for just a few minutes before opening the Dutch oven and fluffy it all together. Serve and enjoy!