The 1 Hour, 1 Pot Chicken Breyani Challenge - Durban Curry Recipes The 1 Hour, 1 Pot Chicken Breyani Challenge

The 1 Hour, 1 Pot Chicken & Veg Breyani Recipe

Today, I set out with one goal in mind, which was to make a chicken breyani in 1 hour and to only use 1 pot while doing so.

The last chicken breyani which I made, took me almost 5 hours and my kitchen looked like an actual bomb site, probably worse.

So ja, I only used an All-in-One Chicken Masala and not any specific Breyani Spices, so some may say that it is not an actual Breyani – to be honest, I really do not know as I am still learning.

I will try and explain the method and timings as best as I can, any questions please feel free to ask in the comments below.

Oh, and I did not add lentils, because I did not have any.

Please note, when I mention Pot it is the pot of the Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC)

1. Prep Time: 20

2. Cook Time: 40

3. Total Time: 1 hour

4. Yield: 5 1x

5. Category: Breyani

6. Method: Moderate

7. Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

• 5 Chicken Thighs (skinned & cut in half)
• 6 Onions (thinly sliced)
• 3 Jam Tomatoes (chopped)
• 100g Durban Curry Lovers, All-in-One Chicken Masala
• 3 Carrots (chopped into cubes)
• Handful of Green Beans (tips chopped off)
• 6 Potatoes (halved)
• 3 Red Chillies
• Egg Yellow (few drops)
• Salt to Taste
• 2–3 Cups Basmati Rice (or to preference)
• 2–3 tablespoons of plain yoghurt, maas, buttermilk, curds or whatever you choose
• 1 Tablespoon of Ginger & Garlic (or to your preference)
• Fresh Mint & Coriander

Instructions

1. Boil Kettle, whilst mixing 3/4 of the masala, yoghurt, mint, coriander, ginger and garlic with the chicken

2. Put 2 Cups Basmati Rice into EPC, fill 3/4 with boiling water. Add salt (water must taste like seawater) Put on the lid and cook for 3 minutes on rice setting.

3. While the rice is cooking, chop the carrots and tip the beans.

4. Pour Rice out into a colander & drain (should be 3/4 cooked)

5. Pour boiling water and a few drops of egg yellow, food colouring, into the pot and add your potatoes to par cook with a closed lid (3 mins)

6. Quick clean up and arrange all your ingredients in order, while the potatoes are par cooking.

7. Drain potatoes into colander, and roast in oven for 10-15 mins

8. Meanwhile rinse the pot and add your oil, heat on fry on the max temperature

9. Add your onions and fry until golden brown

10. Remove 3/4 of the onions and set aside for later (pour any oil that drains back into the pot)

11. Add Tomato and fry until soft

12. Add the remaining masala (approx 25g) into the onion and tomato, stir well for 1-2 minutes

13. Add a splash of water in to the mix, stir well, add carrots & add your marinated chicken & beans (this was a mistake, next time I add beans after step 11)

14. Put the lid on the  EPC and cook for 10 mins on stew function.

15. Whilst the chicken is cooking, mix the remaining onions, mint & dhania into your rice

16. Release steam, open lid, give a good mix and then layer your potatoes and top with the rice mix

17. Put the lid on and steam for 15 mins (on low to medium heat, I used fish function on the EPC)

18. Allow steam to release naturally and it should be ready to serve

19. Garnish with dhania & mint & whatever makes your heart happy (I forgot, I was too hungry)

I poured the pot out into a serving dish, but you can always serve directly out of the pot.

Notes

Whilst this was an experiment and I was chasing the clock, it came out very well. It was absolutely delicious.

Here are my thoughts on this.

1. Add the beans after the chicken has cooked (perhaps blanche when you are par boiling the potatoes)

2. I added about 1/3 of a cup of water before I closed the lid to cook the chicken, so there was a little too much gravy. The meats for breyani must be moist, but quite dry in terms of the amount of gravy. I scooped it out into a small bowl, it was really not much, but I used this to drizzle on the breyani after I served it and it was fabulous.

3. I forgot to garnish with fresh dhania & mint, but there was plenty added during the cooking process. I probably should have spent more time on presentation, but I was just too hungry and too tired after a very busy day at work and on the road.

4. This has to rate as one of the dishes that I have enjoyed eating most, for a very long time. I really enjoyed it and will most definitely be cooking it again soon. I reckon this time I can do it in under an hour.

5. My Electric Pressure Cooker is a Midea InstaChef and I love it like a child. It is the best appliance which I have ever bought.

Find it online: https://www.curryrecipe.co.za/the-1-hour-1-pot-chicken-breyani-challenge/