Spicy Yellow Biryani

I was taught how to make this Pakistani dish by, ironically  a Kurdish woman in our community. I had made biryani before, but this was a different method, but the flavors were better than almost any biryani I have ever had.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium tomato

2 jalapenos 

1 medium onion

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste

3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 cloves

3 green cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

salt/pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable or corn oil

You begin by mixing the chicken, all the spices, the yogurt, the garlic/ginger paste, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tomato, and jalapenos. Make sure they are mixed thoroughly. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pot to medium heat. Add the chicken mixture. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, until about half the liquid is gone. 

Meanwhile, boil 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice in a pot of boiling water for 7 minutes, until halfway soft. Strain in a strainer. Change the chicken pot heat to low. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and spread the half-cooked rice on top of the chicken mixture.

In a separate saucepan, add 1/3 cup of oil. Cut up an onion into thin strips, and fry the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour the oil and onions on top of the rice thats on top of the chicken.

Cook on low for 20 minutes, until the rice is soft. When you plate, try to put the rice on the bottom and the chicken on the top, and mix to incorporate the rice and chicken sauce.