Chicken Biryani (in a Pressure Cooker)

You know, I can’t really believe I haven’t shared an Indian recipe with you guys before.

So, in honor of my first Indian recipe, I’d like to present to you Chicken Biryani (in a Pressure Cooker)

It’s actually really freaking easy. Like easier than I thought it would be…

So here goes.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp red chilli powder

For the rest:

• 1 to 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs
• 1.5 cups of rice (Basmati, preferably)
• 1/2 an onion, chopped or sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch of ginger, minced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp ghee/butter
• 1 pkg of biryani masala, company of your choice
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of greek yogurt
• a pressure cooker

First, you gotta chop up the chicken thighs into small bite-size pieces.

Then, marinate them in a little bowl with: 2 tbsp greek yogurt, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, the juice of half of a lemon, and 1 tsp red chilli powder. (Keep in mind this is not chili powder like you find at your everyday Harris Teeter…this is literally red chillies, dried, and then ground up. Mostly found in Indian stores.)

Set that aside while you do all the other stuff.

FIrstly, measure out 1.5 cups of rice and soak it in water for about 10 minutes.  I used Basmati rice. If you use other types of rice, you might need to soak for longer (20-30 min).

The other stuff that you need to do: chop up 1/2 of an onion into small pieces. Some people like the slivers of onions; I don’t, so I make mine small. You can do either! Mince two cloves of garlic and about 1/2” of ginger.

Now in the pressure cooker, heat up some ghee (or butter), about 2 tbsp. Let that melt and then throw the onions in there.  Once the onions start to brown up, add the ginger and the garlic.

I then added the spices I have (1 pkg of biryani masala, 1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar), 1 big dollop of greek yogurt, a chopped up tomato.

Mix it all together, and this is what you should get.

Now put that on low and let it simmer while you sauté the chicken on another pan for about 3-5 minutes.

The next (and last) step is the easy part…put the rice, and 2 cups of water, and the chicken into the pressure cooker.  Mix it around.  Then put the lid on it and put it on high heat for about…7 minutes. Let that pressure build up and then turn off the stove.

I went to the gym and mine ended up sitting there for a bit.  I would suggest letting it sit for like 10 minutes, and then opening it up very carefully (make sure the pressure isn’t still all built up in there).

And before you know it--food time! :)

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Chicken Biryani (in a Pressure Cooker)

Prep time: 10 min  |  Cook time: 15 min  |  Yields: 5 servingsIngredients:For the chicken marinade:

• 2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp red chilli powder

For the rest:

• 1 to 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs
• 1.5 cups of rice (Basmati, preferably)
• 1/2 an onion, chopped or sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch of ginger, minced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp ghee/butter
• 1 pkg of biryani masala, company of your choice
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of greek yogurt

Process

1. Marinate the chicken in a bowl with the marinade ingredients and set aside.
2. Soak the 1.5 cups of rice in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes. If it's not Basmati rice, soak for about 20-30 min.
3. Chop the half onion and mince the ginger and garlic.
4. Heat up 2 tbsp of ghee or butter in the pressure cooker.  Add the onions when the butter is melted.
5. Once the onions start to brown, add the ginger and garlic.
6. After about 2 to 3 minutes, add the spices you have: 1 pkg biryani masala, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of sugar.  Add the last tbsp of greek yogurt and a chopped up tomato as well. Mix well, and put on low to simmer.
7. Sauté the chicken on another pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
8. Last step! Put the rice, 2 cups of water, and the chicken into the pressure cooker. Mix it up, and put the lid on it.  Put it on high heat for about 7 minutes, then turn off the stove.
9. Wait 10-15 minutes before serving!