Chicken Biryani Rice

Middle Eastern⏱ 60 min🍽 12 servings📶 Medium

One pot that feeds a crowd — which is why biryani never leaves catering and Ramadan menus. The spice blend arrives complete in one pack, so the kitchen does not need to stock eight separate spices, each with its own shelf life.

Ingredients

White Rice — 2 kgBiryani Rice Seasoning 200 g — 2 packsChicken Cut into 9 Pieces — 2 birdsCanola Oil — 120 mlFrozen Black Raisins — 150 gCashew Nuts — 150 gNatural Salt — to taste

Steps

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes and drain. Soaked rice cooks evenly and the grains do not break.

Thaw the chicken in the chiller. Brown it in part of the canola oil, then lift out.

In the same pot, fry the biryani seasoning until fragrant — about 2 minutes. Do not let it burn; burnt spice leaves a bitterness nothing can cover.

Return the chicken, add enough hot water, and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is nearly done.

Add the rice, level it, and check the water sits 1.5 cm above the surface. Cover tightly.

Cook on low heat for 20–25 minutes. DO NOT lift the lid partway — escaping steam leaves the top layer undercooked.

Toast the cashews and raisins in a separate pan and scatter over the rice before serving.

Tips from the Tavis Kitchen

Three other rice blends are available and used the same way: Kabsa, Mandi and Kabli. The same dish can be rotated through four flavours without adding kitchen skill.
For large batches, cook in the oven at 160°C in a tightly covered tray — the heat is more even than on the stove.
Leftover biryani reheats best covered with a splash of water, not uncovered in a microwave, which dries it out.