Chicken Akni

Chicken Akni is a mildly spiced, one dish, easy meal that is very similar to a biriyani.  It wasn’t a dish I knew until I was looking for something quick and easy to do for dinner that would use up some chicken that needed eating!

Having now cooked it though it will definitely be on our list of things we have regularly.  Mostly because once prepared you shove it in the oven and leave it cook and don’t have to do anything else with it!

Perfect for those mid week dinners when you need something in a hurry but don’t really have the energy to stand in the kitchen for hours.  It is very similar to a chicken biriyani if you are familiar with those and is mild enough that children would enjoy it too I think.

Below is the recipe if you are using a Thermomix but to be honest it is so simple to adapt if you dont have one of those.

  1. Place rice in a greased dish, along with the boiling water and leave to one side
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan and add finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chillis until the onion is soft
  3. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, peppercorns and cumin seeds and cook for another couple of minutes
  4. Add the chicken, the tomatoes, yogurt and salt and cook for ten minutes.
  5. Scrape frying pan into the rice dish, stir well and cover tightly with foil
  6. Bake for an hour, or until the chicken is completely cooked
  7. Top with chopped coriander and serve

Chicken Akni
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A simple chicken and rice dish, baked in the oven in one dish.
Author:
Recipe type: Easy
Cuisine: Indian / Pakistani
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 50 g vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
  • 350 g basmati rice
  • 700 g boiling water
  • 100 g onions, quartered
  • 25 g fresh root ginger, peeled, and sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 dried chillies
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 500 g chicken thighs boned and diced
  • 150 g ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • 120 g plain yoghurt
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Grease a large baking dish (approx. 26 cm x 24 cm x 5 cm). Add rice and boiling water to baking dish then put to one side. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Place oil in Thermomix mixing bowl and heat 1 min/Varoma/speed stir.
  3. Add onions, ginger, garlic and chillies then chop 10 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula then, without measuring cup, fry 7 min/Varoma/speed stir.
  4. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns and cumin seeds then cook 2 min/Varoma/speed stir.
  5. Add chicken, tomatoes, yoghurt and salt then cook 10 min/100°C//speed 1.
  6. Pour mixture over reserved soaked rice and stir well with spatula.
  7. Cover dish tightly with aluminium foil.
  8. Bake for 1 hour (180°C) until rice and chicken are cooked.
  9. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

 

This is one of my recipes featuring My Granny’s Baking Tin, find out more by clicking the link!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.