inspired during one Christmas season, this recipe is one of my very own inventions. A combination of several recipes brought about this East meets West dish. I must admit, it is a fairly time consuming affair. However, stick it out and the end result will beautiful, truly enhancing your festive table. I use a Dutch oven to ensure complete cooking of the chicken without drying out. This recipe is perfect for a small family gathering.

Oven Temperature 200⁰C

Ingredients

• 3 small/ 2 medium sized chickens, skin on, washed and drained.
• 500g baby/marble potatoes, skin on.
• 1 tbsp ghee/butter

Marinade

• 1 small tub (~120ml) yogurt
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ bulb garlic and 1” piece ginger pounded/blended into a paste.
• 2-3 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lemon (reserve peels)

Biriyani Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2” stick cinnamon
• 6 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• 1tsp oil
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 tsp salt

Tomato gravy

• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 medium sized onions chopped
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• Handful each of coriander and mint leaves chopped
• 2” piece cinnamon
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder/paprika
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Juices from marinating chicken

Stuffing

• 1 cup diced mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter and seasoned.
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup toasted almond flakes
• ½ cup green peas
• ¼ cup chopped celery stalk
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 3 pandan leaves
• 1 cup prepared tomato gravy
• Drained partially cooked rice

Method

Step 1

Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Rub well on to the chickens, making sure both cavity and outside are well covered. Place the peels inside the cavity and marinate chickens for 12-24 hours. Drain the marinade and reserve for step 3.

Step 2

Wash the rice and soak in warm water for 20mins. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the spices, salt, and oil. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Stir once and let it come to a boil. Stir again and bring it back to a boil. By this time the rice should be around 75% done. Drain rice and set aside for step 4.

Step 3

While the rice is soaking, heat your Dutch oven on the stove top. Add oil. Add the onion and cook till soft. Add the tomatoes, herbs and spices and the juices from the marinating the chickens. Cover and cook for 15-20 mins. Remove 1 cup for step 4, leaving the balance for step 5.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 200⁰C.

Mix all the stuffing ingredients together, except for the pandan leaves. Place a pandan leaf in the chicken cavity along with a lemon peel and stuff the chickens with the stuffing. Secure and tie the legs together.

Step 5

Place the stuffed chickens in the Dutch oven containing the remaining tomato gravy. Scatter the potatoes around them. You may also add some whole mushrooms and roasting vegetables if desired. Place the Dutch oven in the oven and bake for 30-40 mins with lid on. Remove lid, brush chickens with ghee/butter and continue baking for 30 mins with lid off, till the birds get a nice brown colour. You may will to brush more ghee/butter and place them under a hot grill. Any extra biriyani stuffing can be wrapped in aluminium foil and baked along side the Dutch oven.

Any gravy left in the pan can be thickened and served alongside the chicken. This dish pairs well with a mango or pineapple chutney and crisp fruity salad.