Monday, March 21, 2011

Thai-Style Chicken Biriyani

Thai-Style Chicken Biriyani

Spring has sprung! In LA, spring greeted us with something akin to a monsoon. There was thunder, heavy downpours, and oh yeah, a marathon. I celebrated by staying indoors with warm tea and a Harry Potter marathon on tv. Of course I had to make something delicious to go with all of that lazying around and I had just the perfect one pot meal to do that. This recipe is as good as any takeout and maybe better because you know exactly what is going into it. The chicken comes out so tender. In my grocery shopping rush, I bought chicken wings instead of drumsticks, but they worked out well. The spices in the rice give it warmth and the sriracha on the side gives the dish heat. Cucumbers are the perfect accompaniment to cool your mouth down. I'm sort of addicted to cucumbers lately, I'm already thinking of more fun ways I can use cucumbers this spring and summer.

Thai-Style Chicken Biriyani
(Adapted from Saveur)

Makes 6-8 servings

6 shallots, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 5-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 1/2 tablespons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
6 chicken wings, separated at the joint
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1 small Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced
Thai-style chili sauce, such as Sriracha

In a blender or food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, tumeric, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ground pepper with 1/3 cup water. Puree to a paste.

Toss the chicken and spice paste together in a large bowl until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and all of the spice paste and cook, stirring occasionally until the paste is caramelized and the chicken begins to brown, about 12 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes until the rice is lightly toasted. Add salt to taste and 2 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Uncover and use a fork to gently toss together the chicken and the rice. Serve immediately with the cucumbers and the hot sauce on the side.

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14 comments:

Erica said...

The first day of spring always seems to be a little bit off from what it should be! But glad you had some yummy eats to keep you warm. This dish sounds totally delicious- and I love the heat aspect.

Amanda said...

Sorry about the poor weather... but YAY for you posting such a great recipe!!! Looks fab!

notyet100 said...

biryani looks delicious,..

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I have eaten Chicken Biriyani before but never made it. That looks so great.

Diana said...

I totally hibernated all weekend too. And basically cooked for two days straight! I'll have to remember this recipe for another rainy day - I love spicy foods when its cold out! Quick question though... did the chicken have a poultry sapor?

The Food Librarian said...

Very very delicious! It was so stormy this weekend - crazy rain. I was out there on the streets cheering the marathon runners and I think I have a cold now! :(

Simones Kitchen said...

it could possible be the first time in centuries that the first day of spring, was actually... a day full of sunshine here. Its unlikely to stay that way but hey... what can you do? This chicken biriyani looks good in any kind of weather!

susan said...

It was the perfect day to cook, wasn't it? I love what you made and I love that you got so creative! mmmm

The Duo Dishes said...

Very happy all the rain is over. Though we needed it, it made things a little difficult around these parts! It is nice to have an excuse to stay inside and cook though. Great, warming meal. Use up cucumbers in salads for the Spring! We put recipes for 2 types of cuke salads on the blog last week. Yum.

Vijitha said...

Spring is always wonderful right? Fresh flowers, bright days.But weather seems to have changed a lot. I am in the Bay area and it has been raining. Feels like monsoon. Anyways, loved your biriyani dish. First time here. Loving your blog.

Unknown said...

spring brought us snow... can i get some of this instead??

vanillasugarblog said...

i still haven't watched harry potter. lol
i don't like drumsticks either.
but i love you and your all your food creations.
xoxoxo

lisa is cooking said...

Why have I never made biriyani? Clearly, I need to. The spices in the rice and the sriracha on the side sound great!

Alicia Foodycat said...

I really like the look of that! I really like fried rice/biryani/nasi goreng sort of dishes for mid-week dinners.