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Shortcut turkey biryani | Easy weeknight dinners with turkey | Maple and Marigold
5 from 1 vote
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Short-cut Turkey Biryani

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Whole Spices

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf

Other Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice wash and rinse a couple of times. Leave it standing in some water while you get everything else ready.
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sliced onions
  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee I prefer ghee in this recipe or canola oil. The latter is mild enough to let the spices shine
  • 1/2 cup yoghurt
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 strips cooked turkey I use turkey scalloppini
  • 1 handful chopped mint leaves
  • A few strands of saffron soaked in a couple of tbsp of hot water. You can also use milk if you like.

Instructions

For frying whole spices

  1. Add the ghee/ oil in a hot pan. Start with bay leaf and black cardamom, and then add the rest.

  2. Turn the heat down to medium

  3. Toss them and let them sputter and flavour the oil and roast.

For the Gravy

  1. To the spices in the oil, add chopped garlic and sliced onions and let them cook for a couple of mins.

  2. Add tomatoes and let them stew and cook for another 5 mins. The oil should start separating in the onion, tomato mixture. It will leave a trail and look less like a stew.

  3. Add coriander powder, salt and yoghurt at this point and cook for another few minutes. If you're using a masala blend instead of some of the whole spices, add it now.

  4. If you're using uncooked turkey in this recipe you would be adding the boneless strips along with the yoghurt. Let them all cook together.

  5. This will all take about 10 minutes.

  6. Add the rice on top and 1/2 cups of water. Stir it all together and bring it to a boil

  7. Turn it down to a slow simmer.

  8. If you're using cooked turkey strips, place them on top of the rice.

  9. Place a tight lid and leave it for 10 minutes. The water will be absorbed by the rice.

  10. Sprinkle the mint leaves on top and pour in the saffron water. Turn the heat off and leave the lid on till everybody is at the table.