Biryani is a festival dish, traditionally served at Indian weddings. It comes from Kerala, where rice is a staple food. This is a deliciously spicy version of a substantial meal that is served in one pot.
Cut the chicken into 2–3cm diced pieces and place in a bowl. Wash your hands after handling raw chicken.
Using a different chopping board and knife, peel and finely chop the red onion.
Wash the French beans, tomatoes and coriander.
Finely chop the coriander. Top and tail the French beans and cut them in half. Cut the tomatoes into quarters.
Heat the vegetable oil in the large saucepan, then add the chicken, half of the chopped coriander and curry paste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. The chicken will change colour from pink to white.
Add the chopped red onion and French beans and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the water and tomato quarters, cook for a further 3 minutes. Keep stirring.
Cook the rice according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain and add the cooked rice. Mix well, cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
Peel the shell from the hard-boiled eggs and slice into quarters.
Spoon the Chicken Biryani into a large serving dish and garnish with hard-boiled egg quarters and a sprinkling of fresh coriander.
Chop the coriander and French beans using kitchen scissors instead of a knife.
To save time, cook the rice and hard-boil your eggs in advance. The egg and rice should be cooled quickly. Then refrigerate and use within one day.
