Turkey Biryani
Updated Nov. 7, 2022
- Total Time
- About 1½ hours, plus time to cook turkey
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 2turkey legs, about 3½ pounds (or 1½ pounds leftover roasted turkey meat, preferably leg and wing)
- Kosher salt
- ¼cup plain yogurt
- 1tablespoon grated ginger
- 1tablespoon grated garlic
- 2teaspoons garam masala
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼teaspoon cayenne
- 2cups best-quality basmati rice
- 6tablespoons ghee, clarified butter or vegetable oil
- 2large onions, sliced in ⅛ inch half-moons
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 4cups turkey or chicken broth
- ½teaspoon black peppercorns
- 6cloves
- 6cardamom pods
- 12-inch stick cinnamon
- ½cup golden raisins
- 1cup raw cashews
- 4hard-cooked eggs, shelled, optional
- ½cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- Yogurt sauce (see recipe)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
956 calories; 43 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 61 grams protein; 1465 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Season turkey legs with salt and roast for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool, remove skin and bones, then chop meat into rough 1-inch pieces. (If using leftover turkey, simply chop the cooked meat.)
- Step 2
In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric and cayenne, plus 1 teaspoon salt. Add the turkey meat, mix well, and let marinate in mixture for 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, wash and rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Soak rice in cold water 20 minutes, then drain in a colander.
- Step 4
Melt 4 tablespoons ghee over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy-bottomed ovenproof Dutch oven. In batches, fry the onions until crisp and brown, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. Return half the onions to the pot and reserve the other half.
- Step 5
When onions begin to sizzle, add the turkey mixture, stirring well to coat, and let fry lightly for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to combine, then add 1 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes, then add 3 cups broth and bring to a gentle boil. Taste broth; it should be well salted and highly seasoned. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
- Step 6
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Add drained rice to pot and stir. Adjust heat to a brisk simmer and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and the surface of the rice looks dry. Top with reserved fried onions. Cover tightly and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes. (The biryani may be cooked to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)
- Step 7
In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons ghee over medium-high heat. When ghee is hot, add raisins and lightly fry for about 1 minute, until heated through and puffed a bit. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a small bowl. In the remaining ghee, fry cashews until barely golden, about 2 minutes. Remove and combine with raisins. Sprinkle with salt.
- Step 8
Pile the biryani on a large platter. Top with raisins and cashews. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs if desired and shower with cilantro. Serve with yogurt sauce.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious. Don't let all these steps deter you I simplified it a lot: one pot sautéed onions garlic ginger & turkey and any other veggies I added carrots and frozen peas. Then add dry spices included in the yogurt marinade. Next add broth rice Tom paste & other spices (cardamom cloves pepper and cinnamon stick). Brought to boil and the simmered low for 30.
Tip 2: I used a tea ball to hold all the cardamom pods cloves and black pepper corns. This way you avoid eating them later.
My family loved this!! I used chicken thighs, marinated them in the yogurt mixture, and seared them in the Dutch oven before proceeding with the recipe. I've made this recipe twice, but skipped all the frying for the toppings the second time around -- we found them heavy in an already-substantial dish, and I didn't miss the extra work. I was able to use less ghee overall that way (I dry-toasted the nuts, left the raisins uncooked, and omitted the fried-onion topping).
Final note: You may (should) top biryani with fried onions, and a squeeze of lime and serve with a side of plain yoghurt or raita. As I recall our turkey version never made it that far.. the guys just swiped it as they walked by the kitchen and in 1/2 hour it was all gone! That turkey did not die in vain.. twice over! And of course there were sandwhiches too.
Has anyone tried this with recipe leftover cooked lamb?
I made this with turkey broth, which I had made from Thanksgiving turkey carcass. I had run out of Thanksgiving leftovers and wasn't ready to cook more turkey so I added the yogurt marinade to the pot per the instructions as if it had turkey. I think it turned out great and so flavorful. Plenty of protein for me with the nuts and additional yogurt. I will try it with chicken thighs next time, per the suggestion below.
Delicious! Mostly followed the recipe except for using Jasmine rice as we were out of basmati. Jasmine worked but texture would have likely been better with basmati. Didn’t have raisins and wanted sweetness so served with cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving which complimented the dish nicely. Also served with a dollop of plain yogurt as this was a weeknight dinner and I didn’t have the time or energy to make the yogurt sauce.