Weeknight Chicken Biryani

saffron

🥗Healthier: turmeric

💰Cheaper: yellow food coloring

Turmeric adds color with less cost.

ghee

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Olive oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is budget-friendly.

basmati rice

🥗Healthier: quinoa

💰Cheaper: long-grain rice

Quinoa offers more protein, while long-grain rice is more economical.

yogurt

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt is lower in fat, sour cream is often cheaper.

Stir rice into a bowl of cold water and let soak for 15 minutes. Then drain and rinse the rice a few times with cold water. Set aside.

Rub chicken thighs with turmeric and salt and set aside.

Whisk together chicken stock and curry paste and set aside.

In a large skillet with a lid, melt 2 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onion softens but isn’t browned.

Remove onion mixture from skillet. Add another tablespoon of Butter with Canola Oil. Add chicken thighs in a single layer and cook for 4 minutes per side so they are seared.

After chicken is seared, sprinkle onion mixture over chicken thighs. Then add soaked rice and golden raisins. Pour in stock mixture and use a spoon to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Bring mixture to a simmer, turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.

After the biryani has simmered for a few minutes, remove lid and test rice. If it is still crunchy, simmer for another few minutes. If there seems to be too much liquid, it’s okay to simmer the biryani for a few minutes without a lid to cook off some of the liquid.

When the rice is al dente and just cooked through, but still has a tiny bite to it, remove biryani skillet from the heat. Cover skillet and let it steam off the heat for 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and cardamom pods from the skillet and garnish with cilantro. Serve Chicken Biryani while warm.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens