Bolton Great British Bake off star welcomes in spring with recipe

Officially we are well into spring. The freshness of the new day brings a glimmer of promise that the clouds will part to bring much needed sunshine to our town.

We have many things to look forward to in the coming weeks, there’s Easter, all those bank holidays and perhaps a once in a lifetime, for most of us anyway, the King’s Coronation.

Further ahead I am looking forward to a busy season of food festivals, and I just love doing them.

We have our very own Bolton Food and Drink festival but there are many others around the country.

I am organising the Heaton Park Bolton Food and Drink festival and I have a very good friend appearing with me who is the last word when it comes to a healthy living and eating.

It has been brought to my attention that perhaps my recipes are too reliant on the good life and not very conducive to making a person healthier.

After reading the article in the Bolton News about the state of the town’s health I thought it may be timely to suggest we do something virtuous in the kitchen but at the same time hits the spot for taste.

This week I bring you my own Berry Chicken Biryani.

I can sense you are salivating already. It is the food of kings. With the absence of deep frying, fats and less reliance on salt it is a very healthy option.

But don’t let the healthy label deceive you, the Chicken Berry Biryani is a deceptively indulgent meal.

My friend, Masterchef winner Eddie Scott, did a version of this last year at the food festivals.

Mak Patel with MasterChef winner Eddie Scott

Berry Chicken Biryani

Feeds 6 people. Prep time 1.5 hours in total. Cook time 40 minutes.

Equipment. 1 medium sized heavy based cooking pot with a lid.

For the rice

300g long grain rice, basmati if you can get it

2 tsp salt

Juice of ½ lime

The chicken base

500g boneless chicken cut in to 1 inch pieces

45g Ginger and garlic paste

1.5 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1.5 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp lime juice

100g Full fat yoghurt

30ml olive oil

3 green chillies, chopped

3cm Root ginger, finely cut

1 medium onion, fried.

2 tbsp chopped coriander

2 tbsp chopped mint

During the cooking process of the Berry Chicken Biryani

The topping

30g melted butter

50ml double cream

1 tbsp saffron water

40g dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate seeds

During the cooking process of the Berry Chicken Biryani

Method

1. Wash the rice until the starch is removed. The water should be almost clear and then leave to soak, for at least 45 minutes. Get cracking with the chicken base in the meantime.

2. Fry 1 medium onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil until crispy. Place all the chicken base ingredients in a bowl. Mix until all the chicken is covered in the unctuous marinade. Leave covered in the fridge until ready to assemble.

3. Heat the oven to 180℃. The oven should be ready for the assembled dish. Cook the drained rice in 2 litres of boiling water, add the salt and lime. This will lift the flavour so much. Boil for 4 - 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked to al-dente stage. It should break and not turn to mush when squeezed.

4. Line your cooking pot with foil so there is a considerable overhang. Place your chicken base into the pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice on top of the chicken. Some water that goes in with the rice will help with the steam cooking.

5. Using a pestle and mortar add a small quantity (2 tablespoons) of boiling water to a pinch of saffron and grind it down. Pour onto the top of the rice followed by the berries, butter and then cream. Cover the top with the foil and secure the lid

6. Cook for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave for another 20 minutes. Serve hot, ensuring each portion gets a generous amount of both rice and chicken.

Mak's Berry Chicken Biryani

The chicken can be substituted for vegetables, fish or any other type of meat. It is a classic dish that suits many tastes and diets. The biryani can be made even spicier with the addition of more chillies and spice powder.