Region
Iraqi Kurdistan
Serves
6
Prep time
90 min
Kurdish biryani is a sumptuous dish that joins fragrant basmati rice with fried chicken, almonds, raisins and browned onions — served at every great feast and central to Kurdish hospitality. It differs from Indian biryani by its absence of curry and its lighter hand with spice, and from Persian biryani by its generous use of nuts. The Kurdish tradition is to mound the rice on a wide platter, arrange the fried pieces in the centre in a geometric pattern, and crown the dish with browned almonds and golden raisins. Served with a tomato-and-cucumber salad and yoghurt with mint.
Ingredients
• 500 g basmati rice
• 1 whole chicken, jointed
• 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 100 g blanched almonds
• 100 g golden raisins
• 50 g pine nuts
• 2 bay leaves, 4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp turmeric, 1 tbsp cumin
• Frying oil, butter, salt, black pepper
Instructions
1. Boil the chicken with onion, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon for 40 minutes. Reserve the stock.
2. Fry the chicken pieces in butter until golden.
3. Slowly brown the sliced onions in oil until deeply caramelised. Remove and keep the oil.
4. In the same oil, toast the almonds, then raisins, then pine nuts separately.
5. Cook the rice (soaked 15 min) with turmeric, cumin and salt in the strained chicken stock.
6. When the rice is done, pile it on a wide platter, arrange the chicken on top, and crown with almonds, raisins, pine nuts and browned onions.
7. Serve hot with salad and yoghurt.