Goodbye biryani

Name: Goodbye biryani
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 2 star anise; 1 tablespoon screwpine extract (kewra) or rose water; 1 tablespoon chopped mint; ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped; 1 piece mace, ground; 400 g (14 oz) skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, cut into chunks; ¼ nutmeg, ground; 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon edible dried or fresh organic rose petals or buds; 1 tablespoon chopped coriander (cilantro); 6 green cardamom pods, bruised; a few mint leaves; 1 tablespoon crushed garlic; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 tablespoon ghee; 3 large tomatoes, coarsely grated, skins discarded; 2 large pinches of saffron threads; 1 large red onion, finely chopped; 300 g (1½ cups) basmati rice; 3 tablespoons sunflower oil; 1 tablespoon edible dried or fresh organic jasmine buds; 1 ice cube; 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste; 1 lemon, cut into slices; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 black cardamom pods, bruised

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Andaza

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2023

About

It takes time to say goodbye. I cooked this biryani soon after my Nani passed; the rose petals and jasmine are a homage to her, as she loved growing these flowers. I usually serve my biryani with some beetroot raita on the side: just stir grated beetroot, roasted cumin seeds and chopped coriander (cilantro) and mint through plain yoghurt.