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Quinoa Chicken Biryani
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Quinoa Chicken Biryani

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 medium chicken cut into 8 pieces
  • 1.5 cups quinoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves (spices for cooking the quinoa)
  • 2 onions thinly sliced

For the Marinade:

  • 1.5 cups plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 whole cardamom pods
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (whole or ground)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1-2 green chilli peppers, seeds removed and chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
  • fresh cilantro and mint, chopped

Instructions

  • Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken. Cover and leave in the fridge for 6-8 hours. (I've been in a hurry and only left it for 1 hour, and it was still delicious)
  • In a large pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa with the salt and "spices for cooking the quinoa" and cook for about 7 minutes, until the quinoa is half way cooked. Strain the water from the quinoa.
  • Saute the onions in butter until lightly brown.
  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, put the chicken with all it's marinade in the bottom. Add half of the quinoa. Sprinkle some chopped coriander/mint leaves and the sautéed onions. Then add the remaining quinoa. Cover the dish tightly and cook for 5 minutes on high heat, then 15 minutes on medium heat. Continue cooking on low heat until chicken is cooked through (about 10 more minutes).