Cape Malay chicken biryani casserole

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Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 T Woolworths ghee oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 t coriander seeds
1 t smoked chilli flakes
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t ground fennel
1 t ground cumin
1⁄2 t ground turmeric
1⁄2 t freshly ground black pepper
8 cardamom pods, seeded
1⁄2 t ground cinnamon
1 t garam masala
1 x 400 g can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly broken up
4 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
2 t brown sugar
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt, to taste
2 cups chicken stock
For the biryani:
400 - 500 g free-range bone-in chicken thighs and legs
150 g potatoes, cut into 1 cm dice
50 g brown lentils
150 g basmati rice
1 T fresh coriander, finely chopped

Cooking Instructions

Place the ghee in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, place the spices in a coffee grinder or blender and blend at high speed until fine. Add the spices to the onion and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until a deep brown colour but not burnt. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes.

Add the garlic, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken stock.

To make the biryani, preheat the oven to 170°C. Place all the ingredients except the coriander into a casserole and pour in the sauce. Stir to combine. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway. Garnish with coriander and serve.

Cook's note: If you’re craving biryani, but don’t have the time to make it the traditional way, this dish is a great compromise. The hardest work is cooking the sauce, which only takes half an hour. The oven does the rest!

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