Cranberry Biryani

Cranberry Biryani inspired by the Chicken Berry Pulao we had at Britannia and Co. Restaurant Mumbai. Skip the chicken for a veg berry biryani.

Ingredients:

Follow the steps and keep the following ingredients ready.

1. Saffron Milk
Add 12 to 15 saffron strands to ½ cup of hot milk. And a pinch of sugar and set aside.
2. Fried Onion
Finely slice onion ( 2 cups), sprinkle salt and set aside for an hour. Squeeze water and dry on paper towel. Deep fry onion in oil and set aside.
3. Cranberries
Soak 1 cup cranberries in about a cup of water for 15 mins. Drain (reserve water). Heat ½ tsp. ghee, toss the cranberries in and add a pinch of sugar. Stir for about a minute, remove and set aside.
4. Rice:
Ingredients - 2 cups basmati rice soaked in 4 cups of water for about an hour, 4 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 3-4 cardamoms, salt.
Method: Boil about 4-5 cups of water. Add all the above ingredients and cook till rice is almost done. Rice should be slightly undercooked. Drain and set aside. Discard all the whole spices.
5. Spice Powders:
1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cardamom, 1 tsp. nutmeg, ½ tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. clove
6. Jasmine Tea – Steep 1 bag of jasmine tea in ½ cup of hot water. Remove bag and keep tea aside.
7. Chicken
Marinate 1 chicken breast (cut into small pieces) with 1 tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste, lime, salt and ¼ tsp garam masala (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves equal parts). Set aside for at east an hour in fridge. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add chicken and sauté till chicken is done. Set aside.
8. Salt , Ghee to taste
9. Optional Garnish - Pomegranate kernels and cilantro


Method - Biryani Layers:

• Add a tsp of ghee and half of the cooked rice to a pot. Spread ¼ of the fried onions and ¼ of the berries. Sprinkle Spice powders. Add ¼ of the saffron milk. Add 2 tbsp of cranberry water , 2 tbsp of jasmine tea and a tbsp. of ghee. And a pinch of salt.
• Add the chicken layer.
• Add the remaining rice. Spread ¼ fried onions, rest of the saffron milk, 2 tbsp jasmine tea, 2 tbsp cranberry water, 1 tbsp ghee and some salt.
• Cover and cook for 10 to 15 mins on a very slow flame till all the water evaporates and rice is completely cooked.

The layers can also be assembled in a microwave safe dish and cooked for 10 to 15 mins in a microwave.
Serve hot topped with some crunchy fried onion and berries. Garnish with pomegranate and cilantro.