Ultimate Chicken Biryani

This chicken biryani has got everything you want - fluffy rice which absorbs the fragrant and aromatic sauce, tender, moist chicken thighs, sweet caramelised onions and a luxurious saffron milk to finish everything off. Whenever I don’t have a roast on a Sunday my next go-to dinner is always a curry. I don’t always go for biryanis because I find them a little bit dry sometimes but my biryani recipe is foolproof. It makes sure your biryani has plenty of deliciously fragrant and spiced sauce which is absorbed into the rice and coats the tender chicken thigh pieces. The saffron milk and sweet caramelised onions add more flavour and texture and the whole thing is just a hug in a bowl. Plus at £2.01 a portion it’s an affordable, filling dish the whole family will love.

Serves 6 generously (£2.01 per portion)

1. Add two chopped onions to a large frying pan or wok with 2 tbsps grated ginger and 5 crushed cloves of garlic. Heat gently in a little oil until softened. Add 1kg boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into 3cm pieces and cook until caramelised for 3-4 mins. Add 2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder, 3 tbsps garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, a cinnamon stick, 6 crushed cardamom pods, 4 cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Fry until fragrant for a couple of mins over a low heat and add 100g finely chopped dried apricots. Add 750ml hot chicken stock and leave to simmer for 10-15 mins until the sauce has reduced slightly.
2. Meanwhile add 300g well rinsed basmati rice to a pan with 450ml boiling water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric. Simmer over a medium heat for 4 mins then drain and return to the pan with the lid on. Keep off the heat until needed.
3. Fry 3 finely sliced onions in a shallow frying pan with 5 tbsps vegetable oil over a medium heat for 10-15 mins and 1 tsp salt until golden and very caramelised.
4. Gently warm 100ml milk in a small pan with 1 tsp saffron.
5. When you are reading to assemble, put one layer of rice in the bottom of a large casserole dish, then top with a third of the onions and half of the curry. Repeat the layers again and then top with a final layer of rice and onions. Pour over the saffron milk, put a lid on and place in an oven at 200C for 15 minutes.
6. Serve with some raita and mango chutney on the side.