Cape Malay Chicken Biryani Casserole
A South African Cape Malay shortcut biryani baked as a casserole with chicken, potatoes, lentils and basmati rice in a spiced tomato sauce. Dairy free, health conscious. Wine/spirit pairing: Doran Chenin Blanc 2016.
⏱️ Prep: 25 min🍳 Cook: 105 min
Ingredients
| 2 T | Woolworths ghee oil | |
| 1 | large onion, finely chopped | |
| 2 t | coriander seeds | |
| 1 t | smoked chilli flakes | |
| 1 t | cayenne pepper | |
| 1 t | ground fennel | |
| 1 t | ground cumin | |
| 1/2 t | ground turmeric | |
| 1/2 t | freshly ground black pepper | |
| 8 | cardamom pods, seeded | |
| 1/2 t | ground cinnamon | |
| 1 t | garam masala | |
| 1 x 400 g can | whole peeled tomatoes, roughly broken up | |
| 4 | fresh garlic cloves, crushed | |
| 2 t | brown sugar | |
| 1 T | freshly squeezed lemon juice | |
| — | salt, to taste | |
| 2 cups | 480 ml | chicken stock |
| 400-500 g | free-range bone-in chicken thighs and legs | |
| 150 g | potatoes, cut into 1 cm dice | |
| 50 g | brown lentils | |
| 150 g | basmati rice | |
| 1 T | fresh coriander, finely chopped |
Instructions
- Place the ghee in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, place the spices in a coffee grinder or blender and blend at high speed until fine. Add the spices to the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until a deep brown colour but not burnt. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the garlic, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken stock.
- To make the biryani, preheat the oven to 170°C. Place all the biryani ingredients except the coriander into a casserole and pour in the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway. Garnish with coriander and serve.
Cook's note: If you're craving biryani but don't have time to make it the traditional way, this dish is a great compromise. The hardest work is cooking the sauce, which only takes half an hour. The oven does the rest!