Swap out the white rice for protein-rich quinoa in this delicious Quinoa Chicken Biryani.
Biryani is a popular South Asian dish that consists of layering cooked rice and seasoned meat. Here I’ve replaced white rice, which is high in carbohydrates and low in nutritional value, with quinoa.
Quinoa is actually a seed, rather than a grain. It originated in South America and is considered a complete protein source.
Quinoa is high in:
- protein.
- fiber.
- antioxidants.
- bone-building magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
- prebiotics- food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
This dish is a little time-consuming and not something I’d make every day, but it’s definitely worth the effort for a special treat! Not to mention it’s bursting with nutrients from all the anti-inflammatory herbs and spices.
This recipe has been modified from Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani from Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun.
Quinoa Chicken Biryani
| Servings |
| 6people |
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|
Ingredients
- 1medium chickencut into 8 pieces
- 1.5cups quinoa
- 1/2teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves(spices for cooking the quinoa)
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
For the Marinade:
- 1.5cups plain yogurt
- 1/4cup olive oil
- 2 whole cardamom pods
- 1whole cinnamon stick
- 2whole cloves
- 1/2teaspoon black pepper (whole or ground)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
- 1tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
- 1-2 green chilli peppers, seeds removed and chopped(optional)
- 2tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- fresh cilantro and mint, chopped
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken. Cover and leave in the fridge for 6-8 hours. (I've been in a hurry and only left it for 1 hour, and it was still delicious)
- In a large pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa with the salt and "spices for cooking the quinoa" and cook for about 7 minutes, until the quinoa is half way cooked. Strain the water from the quinoa.
- Saute the onions in butter until lightly brown.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, put the chicken with all it's marinade in the bottom. Add half of the quinoa. Sprinkle some chopped coriander/mint leaves and the sautéed onions. Then add the remaining quinoa. Cover the dish tightly and cook for 5 minutes on high heat, then 15 minutes on medium heat. Continue cooking on low heat until chicken is cooked through (about 10 more minutes).
I tried this today. Everyone loved it at my house. So much lighter than the regular biriyani. The only change I made was to use ground spices in the chicken marinade and I also let the chicken cook a little before adding the quinoa.
I’m so glad you liked it Nasneen, thanks for the comment! ❤
Just amazing! I followed the recipe exactly for 8 servings for my weekly meal prep. My girlfriend and I are amazed at how tender the chicken is and we aren’t missing the rice at all! This is going into our regular rotation for sure.
I’m so glad you liked it!!