Chicken biryani

Chicken biryani combines a chicken curry with separately parboiled rice and a final covered steam, or dum. Izzah Cheema’s selected version uses bone-in chicken, aged basmati rice, dried plums, whole spices and a ready biryani masala.

The chicken is coated with plain whole-milk yogurt, neutral oil, the ready masala, ground coriander, cumin, red chilli, turmeric, nutmeg and kosher salt. The rice is washed and soaked separately while onions brown in oil and ghee.

The onion pan is deglazed with water before whole spices, garlic and ginger are added. The chicken and its entire marinade follow, then tomato, selected Serrano chilli, dried plums and cooking water. This covered curry simmers while the rice is briefly boiled in separate water with salt, oil and lemon juice, then drained.

The curry is uncovered and reduced, seasoned with salt and optional chilli flakes, then finished with kewra and lemon juice. Half the drained rice forms a lower layer, all the chicken follows, and the remaining rice covers it. Chaat masala, coloured milk, oil, coriander, mint and lemon slices finish the layers.

The pot is sealed with the selected kitchen-cloth lid lining, then develops steam, cooks over low heat and rests without stirring. Cheema recommends lifting the completed layers gently onto a platter and serving the biryani hot with yogurt or raita; this selected presentation uses ready plain yogurt.