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The exact origins of the biryani are often debated, but a clue may be in its Persian name, birian, meaning ‘fried before cooking’ and the word birinj which means rice. The royal courts of the Mughals adopted the biryani style of cooking and as the empire spread, so too did di!erent techniques of preparing the dish. Today, India has a wide variety of biryani styles, each proclaiming to be superior! Some contain potatoes (Kolkata style), some use turmeric, some partially cook the meat and rice before layering while others cook everything together. This Mughal style biryani is opulent – with nuts, raisins and sweet-smelling rose water – yet very achievable at home. It uses the dum style of cooking, literally translated as ‘to breathe’ where food cooks gently in its own steam. The pot is traditionally sealed with dough, but foil is an easier modern alternative – either method allows the flavours to permeate and retain their fragrant perfection as the biryani cooks slowly over a heat source, traditionally a flame.

Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage is out 6 November. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus

1-2 hours marinating

Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Serves 6

Step 1

• 1 heaped tbsp biryani masala (see below)
• 1.3kg boneless chicken thighs, halved
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic and ginger paste
• 150g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp fine salt

Step 2

• 3 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 2 Indian bay leaves
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp fine salt
• 400g long grain basmati rice, washed thoroughly with cold water

Step 3

• 6 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 4 large white onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp fine salt

Step 4

• Pinch of saffron threads, steeped in 4 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tbsp rose water

Step 5

• 2 small handfuls of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 small handfuls of fresh mint, roughly chopped
• 40g slivered almonds
• 40g cashew nuts
• 40g pistachios
• 30g raisins (optional)
• 6 tsp ghee

1. First, make your biryani masala, which takes minutes. The steps that follow are very easy, with crowd-pleasing results, so don’t be put off by them!
2. In a large bowl, coat the chicken with all the ingredients for Step 1. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. When ready to cook, bring the chicken to room temperature.
3. Heat a large pan of water and add all the Step 2 ingredients except the rice. Once boiling, add the rice. Turn the heat down, cover and cook for 6 minutes. The rice should be partially cooked (around 60%) so that it retains some bite.
4. Remove the cloves, star anise, bay, coriander and mint leaves with a slotted spoon (leaving the caraway seeds) and then drain the rice and briefly run under cold water. Spread the rice out evenly on a large baking tray to cool.
5. In a large cast-iron pan, heat the oil in Step 3. Add the onions and salt. Allow to bronze and crisp up for around 15 minutes, then remove half the onions and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
6. Add a little more oil if required, then add the marinated chicken to the pan. Keep on a low heat and cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken intermittently. Now turn off the heat and remove half the chicken.
7. Spread half the cooled rice on top of the chicken in the pan. Add half the ingredients of Steps 4 and 5, scattering them evenly over the rice.
8. Add the second layer of chicken back to the pan, followed by the remaining rice and Step 4 and 5 ingredients. Scatter with the reserved crispy onions.
9. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil and secure it with the lid. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave covered for a further 15 minutes. You can also cook this in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4 for 20 minutes, then take it out and rest without removing the lid for 15 minutes.
10. Serve your biryani with raita, sliced raw red onion and a boiled egg per serving.

Notes: To seal the pan with dough, mix white or wholewheat flour with a pinch of salt and water, roll out and seal over the pan by pinching the edges.

Biryani Masala

Makes 1 small pot

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1½ tbsp cumin seeds
• 1½ tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp green cardamom pods
• 8 black cardamon pods
• 2 mace blades
• 1 whole nutmeg
• ½ tbsp cloves
• 3 star anise
• 3 dried whole red chillies (optional)
• 4 Indian bay leaves (if available – see notes)

1. Heat a large frying pan and add the first 5 ingredients (seeds and peppercorns). Move them around the pan for 30 seconds before adding all the remaining ingredients.
2. Use a spatula to continue moving the spices around the pan. Heating them up awakens the spices to release their oils and aromas, which will enhance your masala, so don’t skip this step!
3. After 90 seconds, pour the spices into a bowl and allow to cool before placing into a spice grinder. Blitz to a smooth powder.
4. Store the masala in a sealed container and use over the next 3 months.

Notes: Indian bay leaves – Also known as tej patta, these olive-green leaves have a strong woody aroma and tend to be larger in size than their European counterparts, with three veins running through the length. They have an entirely different flavour profile to European bay, so if you are unable to source them, I suggest leaving them out of the dish altogether. They are commonly found in North Indian dishes, particularly the Mughal recipes in this book.

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