This variation of Biryani (preceding recipe) is spicier, creamier, and somewhat more complicated. Go easy on the cayenne: this is meant to be a fragrant dish, not a fiery one. Serve with Dal (page 433) or any Indian-style vegetable.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　3 tablespoons butter or oil

　　1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 large onions, sliced

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1 cinnamon stick

　　3 whole cloves

　　6 cardamom pods

　　1 tablespoon ground coriander

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

　　Pinch of saffron threads or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1 1/2 cups basmati rice

　　1 1/2 cups yogurt

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the butter in a large deep skillet, preferably nonstick, with a lid. Turn the heat to medium high. When the butter melts, add the chicken, skin side down. Brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary and sprinkling with salt and pepper, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the onions to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, 5 to 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cayenne, saffron, and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the mixture is well combined and the rice is glossy. Carefully add the yogurt and 1 1/2 cups hot water and stir. Nestle the chicken in the rice mixture and cover tightly. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently.

　　

Step 3

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the liquid is nearly absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. If the mixture is soupy, boil out the excess water by turning up the heat a bit. If it is dry or the rice is undercooked (unlikely), add a little more water and continue to cook. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.