Make Anjula Devi’s Iconic Indian Chicken Biriyani Recipe:

PREP: 30 Minutes

COOK: 60 Minutes

SERVES: 4

When I was growing up in Southall we, like many of the large families around us, didn’t have much money. But we were rich in other ways – most notably, in terms of food. My father was a keen home gardener.and so much of the fresh produce that we all loved came from our very own back garden.

To make the most of the garden Dad built a makeshift greenhouse. In it we grew a wealth of produce – tomatoes, chillies and plenty of the herbs so prevalent in Indian cooking like mint and coriander. In spite of being young and having a sensitive palate Dad always advised me that I should bite into a raw chilli to gauge its heat level and flavour. He was wise – chillies come from many different parts of the world and offer an incredible array of contrasting flavours and levels of heat even when they come from the same plant. I still follow his advice today.

Another gem grown in our greenhouse was moongra – a radish with a very special flavour. This year I plan to grow it between April and June and cook dishes that revive some of the tastes of my childhood.

When I was around eight years old my Dad’s “Waiting for pay day curry” made many appearances on the dinner table towards the end of the month when money was increasingly tight and we were waiting for the issue of his next pay cheque. In spite of its humble nature we loved this dish and it is one that I continue to enjoy today, flavouring TRS kala chana (small black chickpeas), potatoes and eggs with an incredible blend of spices. Eaten with chapattis or simple boiled rice it never fails to taste wonderful. Dad loved using kala chana in his cooking. We always knew when we would be having a chickpea-based curry as a couple of days beforehand his preparations would start. The kala chana would be placed in a bowl and rinsed and a little water added. He’d then cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the pulses to soften for a couple of days – making them tender, nuttier in flavour and decreasing their cooking time.

It wasn’t just the family who loved the garden – our dogs did too. We had two when I was young – a short-haired Alsatian called Lassie.and Tiger, a long-haired German Shepherd. Indian food-loving Tiger was always my favourite.  Whenever dad and I bought lamb chops for curry from the Indian butcher we’d always get one extra for Tiger and a few bones.

Those bones would be boiled up with garlic, cumin and black pepper. If Tiger didn’t eat them straight away we would often find them buried in the back garden (always next to the marrows and turnips, although I have no idea why he found this spot so fascinating).

Tiger was a real character. On a few occasions when Dad and I took the 207 bus from Southall to Shepherds Bush market Tiger followed us to the bus stop, jumped on the back of the old Routemaster as it left the stop, and came bounding up to us wanting an adventure and ensuring our journey was extended by taking him home before we headed off again ( this time, with just the two of us making the trip!).

Whenever Tiger pursued us Dad would level a flurry of Punjabi profanities in his direction. Yet when we returned home with the shopping Tiger would be faithfully waiting for us at the top of the road and of course, we would always both readily forgive him. After all Tiger was treasured by the whole family, so much so that we regarded him as one of us. When he got run over my brother Raj and I called the ambulance as we would have done for any other family member! Once the medics established that it was a dog that needed treating and the RSPCA arrived Tiger’s recovery was swift and he was soon eating Indian food again with renewed vigour – including, on the odd occasion that we failed to scrape our plates clean, a few bites of Dad’s incredible payday curry!

Ingredients
400 g – chicken thighs
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tsp fennel seeds, roasted
1 star anise
6 green cardamom, slightly bashed and roasted
1 black cardamom, bashed and roasted
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
2 pieces of cassia bark
3 cloves
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed and roasted
2 tsp – shahi kala jeera (black cumin seeds)
2 or 3 strands of mace
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 medium sized stone flowers/ kalpaasi
3 tbsp natural yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
1 tbsp fresh garlic paste
2 green chillies, sliced lengthways
400 g – Tilda basmati rice
6 cups of cold water
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
200 g of chapatti flour
Himalayan rock salt to taste
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium size tomatoes, chopped
Large pinch of saffron threads
5 tbsp of milk
1 oz unsalted melted butter
3 medium size onions, sliced
Small bunches of coriander and mint, chopped

Method 

Blend all the spices and add to a large bowl containing the chicken thighs, then add the yogurt and lemon juice, ginger, garlic and chillies. Stir well and refrigerate for at least 8 hours; even better if left overnight 

Remove the chicken from the fridge, and bring up to room temperature 

Wash the rice and soak for thirty minutes.

Take six cups of cold water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the water.

Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water. Once the rice comes back to the boil, cook for just two minutes and no more.

Remove and drain in a colander and set to one side.

Take the chapatti flour and, with some luke-warm water, create a soft dough. Roll into a sausage shape which will fit around the circumference of the pan.

Add Himalayan rock salt to the bowl, and stir well 

Take a sauté pan with a lid. Put the vegetable oil in the pan, and allow the oil to warm

Add the chicken and tomatoes, switch to a high heat and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and set to one side. 

Roast the saffron threads on a low heat until they are dry (about one minute). Add the milk to the saffron and simmer for thirty seconds. Add the butter, remove from heat and set to one side.

Take the partially boiled rice, and spread the rice evenly on the chicken

Cover it carefully securing the lid, and cook on a low flame for 25 minutes. 

Fry the onions on a medium flame until golden brown. Remove the onions from the pan and place on absorbent kitchen paper.

To build your biryani take the saucepan with chicken and remove half of the chicken. Top the remaining chicken in the pan with rice, with half the fried onions, chopped coriander and mint. Repeat the process adding the chicken you removed from the pan. Add another layer of rice. 

Pour your saffron milk in wide lines across the rice.

Put the lid on firmly, and seal with your chapatti dough.

Simmer for another 45 mins. 

Remove from the heat, and top with the remaining fried onions, coriander and mint.

Serve with Indian salad and plain yoghurt.

For more authentic Indian recipes, Anjula Devi’s fantastic ‘how to’ recipe book comes with  top tips and a glossary of spices, it includes step-by-step instructions for Anjula’s masala base, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for chicken curry, chicken biriyani, stunning samosas and perfect pakoras plus lamb, prawn, vegetarian and vegan dishes, starters, rice, breads and chutneys.  Find out more and buy the book for £5.99 here.

And if you’re looking for the right kit to help you make them, Lakeland have worked with Anjula to create the Authentic India range of products. From flavouring curries to fluffing chapatis, every one is designed specifically for the job in hand.