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Of all the Indian dishes loved across the country, biryani is perhaps the most popular. The one-pot dish made with rice, meat, spices and fats was introduced to India in the Middle Ages, and since then the dish has managed to conquer innumerable hearts. However, many people now tend to avoid biryani for health reasons. If you are one such person and are missing the taste of biryani, this recipe for brown rice chicken biryani is just what you need.
Brown rice chicken biryani is a healthier version of the traditional Lucknowi biryani. Because it replaces white rice with brown rice, this dish is packed with more dietary fibre, plant proteins, minerals and antioxidants. Brown rice also has a nutty flavour, which adds to the allure of the biryani by adding another nuanced flavour to the dish. This recipe for brown rice chicken biryani uses the leg and thigh cuts of chicken, but you can stick to the leaner breast cuts if you want.
Unlike other healthy dishes, this brown rice chicken biryani recipe does not skimp on the ghee—the Indian clarified butter has been recently proved to be much healthier than other fats because of its high smoking point and natural mineral content. Instead, this brown rice chicken biryani recipe reduces the amount of spices used in the dish and recommends that you pair the finished dish with a veggie-packed raita to aid digestion and add more fibre.
To make this brown rice chicken biryani, which is the perfect dinner recipe for you on any given day, we also recommend that you wash and soak the brown rice beforehand. Because brown rice has the outer skin intact, it can take longer to cook if not soaked enough. This can not only leave the brown rice tasting raw, but also stop the biryani spices and ghee flavours from seeping into it properly. With these tips in mind, making brown rice chicken biryani for dinner tonight will be the easiest thing to do. Check out this recipe.
Image used for representative purpose only. Image courtesy: Facebook/Archana Deshmukh-Mundhe
Ingredients:
500 g chicken legs and thighs
1.5 cups brown rice, soaked for 3 hours
4 tbsp ghee
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
½ cup yoghurt
1 bay leaf
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp shahi garam masala
¼ cup mint leaves
½ cup coriander leaves
Salt, to taste
1 tsp saffron, soaked in warm milk
Water, as required
2 eggs, boiled and shelled (optional)
Method:
1. Wash, clean and pat dry the chicken pieces.
2. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Add the turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, shahi garam masala and salt.
4. Add the yoghurt and mix well.
5. Keep the chicken marinated for at least an hour.
6. Place the soaked brown rice in a large pot with double the amount of water and salt to taste.
7. Boil the brown rice until it is 80 per cent cooked, then strain and set aside for later.
8. Heat ghee in a large briyani pot, then add the sliced onions.
9. Fry the onions until they turn golden brown, then remove half the onions for later.
10. Add the marinated chicken, bay leaf and slow cook the chicken while stirring occasionally.
11. After half an hour, the chicken should be 80 per cent cooked. Switch off the flame.
12. Add the boiled eggs and half the brown rice.
13. Add a layer of the fried onions, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
14. Now add the remaining brown rice and top with the remaining fried onions, mint leaves, coriander leaves and the saffron milk.
15. You can also add some more ghee at the top if you want.
16. Cover and seal the biryani pot and cook for half an hour on low heat.
17. Serve the brown rice chicken biryani hot with raita.
