Biriyani is the East Indian answer to Oriental fried rice. Biriyani is baked, though, and delicious. It can take a long time to make if you are traditional in your methods (grinding spices in correct proportions, seperating the butter for ghee, making a curry of meat likely skinned yourself with heavy spice that is then mixed with half cooked rice, baking on low heat for an hour, stiring in more stuff like cinamon sticks, cashews, rasins and baking again for another hour before stirring one final time...sigh, my hands tire just typing about it). If, however, you are like me and want to enjoy your biriyani quicker, then read on, because my method takes under an hour. All it takes is seperating things into simultaneous steps and not using ghee or meat still on the bone.

First:
2 cups dry basmati (or Texmati)rice
3 cups chicken broth & 1 cup water
2 heaping tablespoons of jarred Biriyani paste (available at friendly Asia, India, or Exotic Stores near you)
Combine all of the ingredients just listed into the pot of a rice cooker and turn on (should take a little under 40 minutes to cook)

As the rice portion readies, prepare the curry.
cube about 1 lb meat of choice boneless/skinless of: lamb, chicken thighs...
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon corriander powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt (can replace with garlic powder and lemon juice)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 spoons oil
3/4 cup water
Use a deep frying pan and heat 2 spoons of oil over medium heat
add onion and garlic and allow the onion to become translucent about 3 minutes
add all spices to the onion and the water bring water to boil over medium high then reduce to simmer - about 10 minutes
add meat to simmering broth and cook for an additional 20 minutes

While the curry cooks assemble 3 spice packets each containing of 3 whole cloves, 2 whole cardomums, and 1 dried red chili pepper these can be tied up in a coffee filter sheet and tied with string

The curry and rice are still cooking and you have made your spice packets; preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a nonstick cooking spray on a baking dish to ready it for one of the final steps.

Remove the chicken from the broth and transfer it to the baking dish. Then take the next set of ingredients-a cup of your favorite veggies (the usual ones are: broccoli, peas, cauliflower)cut if needed to size and add them to the broth for five minutes and then turn off the heat. By now, the rice should be done-transfer the rice into the baking dish and pour the veggies and curry broth over it. Use a spatula to mix thouroughly then bury the spice packets evenly spaced under the rice, veggies, and curry. Place in oven and set timer for 10 minutes.

while this bakes add the last spoon of oil into the frying pan that still has bits of curry in it. Add a 1/4 cup of split cashews and a handful of plump raisins toast by tossing in the pan for about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Remove and set aside. I like to get split cashews and plump style raisins, but if your the type to yank 'em out when your eating them just leave these out.

Timer go off? Remove the baking pan and use tongs to fish out the spice packets. Toss the briyani and top with the cashews and raisins. You are done! Serve with yogurt, eat by itself, or pile on some pappadum. Enjoy!

Learn more about this author, Mary Walker.
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