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Apricot chicken biryani

Make use of the spices in the back of your cupboard with this flavour-packed biryani. The authentic Indian flavours burst through the rice so beautifully, and the juicy pop of apricot is just delicious!
Apricot chicken biryani
4 - 6
40M
50M
1H 30M

Ingredients

Method

1.Fry onion in 120ml oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Dry-roast spices and bay leaf over medium heat, then pound to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle. Add to onion along with yoghurt, herbs, ginger, garlic, chilli and sea salt and mix well. Add chicken, stir to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
2.Spread chicken mixture in a heavy-based casserole with a tight-fitting lid and tuck dried and fresh apricots in between chicken pieces. Combine rice, 20g butter and remaining oil in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2cm; season generously and bring to the boil. Drain and spread rice over chicken.
3.Bring milk, saffron and remaining butter to a simmer in a saucepan, then pour the mixture over rice, cover casserole with foil, then place the lid on. Cook over low heat for 50 minutes, then, without uncovering, stand for 15 minutes. Serve hot scattered with extra apricot wedges, if using, mint and coriander leaves and green chilli, and fried onion, pistachio nuts and lime cheeks.

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