Zainab's Chicken & Vegetable Biryani

Recipe by:zainab

we celebrate International Women's Day in March 8 with yellow food.

zorra invited us to cook something yellow.

so I hope that my recipe consider as yellow.

For Chicken & Vegetable Biryani .

1 Medium carrot, chopped to small cubes.
1 Medium potato, chopped to small cubes.
1 Medium zucchini, chopped to small cubes.
Or you can use 1 bag frozen Vegetable.

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil.
2 large onions, finely chopped.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely grated.
1/2 cup parsley, chopped.
1/2 cup mint, chopped.
180 g low fat yogurt.
2 tablespoons tomato paste.
Juice of one lemon.
2 whole chickens, each cut to 4 (or you can use meat or Fish or shrimp)
1 Tablespoon ground garam masala.
1 teaspoon curry powder.

Whole Spices
2 cinnamon sticks.
3 whole cloves.
4 whole cardamom pods.


3 cups basmati rice.
Water for boiling the rice.
1 cinnamon stick.
8 whole cardamom pods.
1 Tablespoon salt.
1 Tablespoon Oil.

* soak:
2 Tablespoons Boiled water.
1 Tablespoon rose water.
Pinch of saffron .

1) Heat oil in pan, add chopped Vegetable and brown them, then remove to a plate.

2) Heat oil in same pan; add onions & cook until browned, than add garlic+ ginger and stir.

3) Add chicken, salt, ground garam masala, curry powder and Whole spices, stir, cook, until chicken brown, simmer cover, for 20 minutes per side.

4) Mix yogurt with tomato paste & lemon Juice, than add it to the chicken.

5) Add browned Vegetable parsley, & mint ,cook for 10 minutes.

6) To cook rice: in a deep pan bring to boil water with 1 tablespoon salt, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and 1 tablespoon oil, add basmati rice, and boil it for 8 minuets. Remove from heat and Rinse the rice from any excess water; put it back to the same pan.

7) In a deep pan cover the bottom with half the cooked rice and pour half of saffron and rose water mixture over the rice, then arrange chicken pieces and vegetables on top of rice, then cover it with the rest of rice, pour rose water all over the rice.

8) Cover the pan, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid.

9) Serve it with cucumber and yogurt mint salad or green salad.