Malay Style Briyani Chicken

I love the biryani we get back in Malaysia and the one I had prepared earlier with the ready mix spices just don't taste nor looks anywhere near to that. This time, I decided to try out the recipe that calls for the preparation from scratch instead and yum... it does taste superbly good. Just be cautious that the list of ingredients may look really long.

I made it twice actually and once with chicken and the other is with beef rendang.

For the rice:

• 3 cups basmati rice, soaked at least 30mins, then washed and drained
• 1tbsp butter
• 2 pcs shallot, slice thinly
• 2 cloves garlic (I'm using Australia garlic that is rather huge, it comes out to roughly 3tbsp amount), minced
• 1tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/2tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2tbsp cloves powder
• 1tbsp cardamon powder
• 2tsp tomato puree
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 2 pandan leaves, washed and knotted
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/4tsp numeric powder
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup of cashew nuts (I used pine nuts coz i don't have cashew at that time)
• 3tbsp chopped coriander leaves

**Note: I don't have cardamon powder so what I did was use the grinder and grind it to powder form. You may choose to place the entire cardamon, cinnamon or/and cloves in as in original form but it taste better once it is grounded to powder form

1. Heat the pressure cooker up, put in the butter and shallot. Slightly saute before adding in the spices.
2. Next add in the tomato puree and carrot and stir.
3. Add in the pandan leaves next and stir till fragrant (roughly a min) before adding in the rice,  water and evaporated milk.
4. Switch the cooker to risotto mode (KPT13mins) and leave it to cook.
5. Once done, remove and add in coriander leaves, raisins and nuts. Next fluff the rice and mix the new add on stuff evenly.

For the chicken:

• 6pcs of drumstick, marinate with minced garlic (1cloves), ginger (1cm) and 1tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp oil
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 1.5tbsp minced garlic
• 1.5tsbp minced ginger
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamon pods
• 4pcs of cloves
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp fennel powder
• 3.4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 knotted pandan leaves
• 2tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp chilli powder

1. Clean the chicken and wipe it dry. Marinate it with the marinate ingredients for at least 30mins.
2. Place the chicken in the air fryer and set at 180c for 5mins.
3. Heat up some oil in the pressure cooker pot and saute the shallots, garlic and ginger.
4. After the shallots soften and it starts to give nice aroma, add in the cinnamon stick, cardamon, cloves, fennel powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and pandan leaves. Stir for 1-2mins.
5. Then add in the chicken and set the pressure cooker to meat mode and KPT for 15mins.

For the beef:

• a piece of beef tenderloin roughly 400g, cut to cube (roughly 1"x1")
• 1tsp salt
• 1/2cup evaporated milk
• 1/8cup of desiccated coconut
• spices to blend
• 3 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3tbsp of blended chilli
• 2tsp of belacan powder
• 1cm ginger
• 1tsp turmeric powder
• 1 lemongrass stem, cut to small pieces the end part (the top part bruised and leave aside)
• 2 kafir lime leaves, sliced finely
• 1 handful of vietnamese mint
• 2tbsp oil

1. Blend all the ingredients for the spices together till it forms a thick paste. If too hard to blend, add a little water (like a teaspoon or more or less).
2. Heat the pressure cooker and add in the oil to the pot. Fry the spices ingredients till fragrant.
3. Add in the desiccated coconut and fry for another 2mins.
4. Then add in the beef and coat it well with the spices. Set the cooker to meat mode and cook for 15mins.
5. Once released pressure, add in evaporated milk and salt and cook under high saute mode for 8-10mins till the sauce thicken to your preferred thickness.
6. Once done, turn off the power and stir in the kafir lime and vietnamese mint leaves.

For the pickle:

• 1 whole cucumber
• 1 whole carrot
• 4pcs of shallots
• 1tsp salt
• 1cup rice vinegar
• 2tbsp sugar

1. Cut the cucumber to roughly 3cm length, 1cm thickness size. Removed the core.
2. Season it with the salt and leave it aside for at least 10mins before washing off.
3. Cut the carrot to the same size as the carrot.
4. Slice the shallots finely.
5. Heat up the vinegar and melt the sugar in it.
6. Once the mixture cool down, place the carrot, cucumber and shallots in it. Set aside to marinate for at least 30mins before placing it into the fridge.

**Note: You can top up the veggies with the same liquid if they are still there after you finish up the veggies.