NEWCASTLE KZN: Pamela Govender’s traditional chicken biryani recipe

Pamela Govender, a South African expat living in Australia, continues her attempts to share recipes and their influence on her life, as well as recollections of her mother, the late Tilda Naidoo.

This week, Pamela shows how to make her mother’s delicious chicken biryani, which is guaranteed to tickle your taste buds:

Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serving: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2kg chicken cut in pieces, remove skin
• Oil
• 3 Bay leaves
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3-star aniseed
• 4 cardamon pods
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 3 tablespoon Kashmiri masala
• 1 tablespoon Biryani Masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 3 sprig thyme
• Handful of chopped mint
• Chopped coriander
• 3 green chilies slit
• 2 grated tomatoes
• 2 x onions
• 100g butter
• Egg yellow
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 cups rice
• 4-5 potatoes
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Roast dry spices and grind into a fine powder.
• Marinate chicken together with dry spices, yogurt/sour cream, lemon juice, Kashmiri masala, Biryani masala,
• chopped mint, coriander, and thyme. Place in refrigerator until needed.
• Pre boil 2 cups washed rice with turmeric.
• Boil 1 cup brown lentils.
• Steam 4-5 potatoes in the microwave, add a little egg yellow and deep fry for a few minutes, set aside.
• Fry 1 sliced onion in butter, add to the top of biryani, saute another onion for the curry method.

Curry Method:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Sauté the onions until golden brown.
• Add the ginger and garlic.
• Add the green chilies and curry leaves.
• Add the tomatoes, cook for a few minutes.
• Add marinated chicken, cook for 20 minutes.
• Add the fried potatoes.
• Add the lentils to rice.
• Add the rice over curry (add yellow food coloring to the rice).
• Add 1 cup water.
• Add the butter on top of the rice.
• Cover tightly with foil and the pot lid.
• Simmer for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees until all excess water evaporates
• Garnish with the remaining fried onions and coriander.
• Serve with dhall, sour milk salad, or carrot salad.

Let us know how this recipe worked out for you – submit your photos and feedback to ncschools@caxton.co.za

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Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za

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