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Zurbiyan
Layered rice with chicken or lamb
Zurbiyan (زربيان): Adeni layered rice with yogurt-marinated chicken or lamb, potatoes and saffron
Zurbiyan is Aden's wedding and Eid rice, cooked in huge pots in southern Yemen and shared by whole streets, and it shows the city's long links with India in its yogurt marinade and layering. Meat is marinated in yogurt and spice, cooked with crisp fried onion and potatoes, then layered with half-cooked rice, saffron and rose water and left to steam until each grain is separate and fragrant. It is rich, perfumed and gently spiced, served with a cooling tomato salad and green chilli sauce. The common mistake is cooking the rice fully before layering, so it turns soft and broken. Chef's tip: boil the rice only until it bends but still snaps in the middle; the steam does the rest.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skinnedor lamb shoulder pieces
- 9 oz plain yogurt
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp salt
For the layers
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 onionsthinly sliced
- 3 potatoespeeled and quartered
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 4 cloves
- 1 ⅛ lb basmati ricesoaked 30 minutes
- 1 tbsp saltfor the rice water
- 1 pinch saffron threadssoaked in 4 tbsp warm milk or water
- 1 tbsp rose water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain yogurt, 6 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 tbsp zurbiyan or biryani spice mix, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 2 tsp salt, coat 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, skinned and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
120 minStep 2: Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a heavy, wide pot and fry 3 onions until deep brown and crisp. Lift out half for the top.
Step 3: Fry 3 potatoes in the same oil until golden outside, then lift out.
10 minStep 4: Add 6 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 tomatoes to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, then add the chicken with all its marinade. Cover and cook on a medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and the chicken reads 165°F at the bone (lamb: until tender, about 1 hour).
35 minStep 5: Meanwhile boil 1 ⅛ lb basmati rice in plenty of water with 1 tbsp salt until just bendable but still firm in the centre. Drain.
6 minStep 6: Tuck the potatoes into the meat, spread the rice over the top, then drizzle with 1 pinch saffron threads and 1 tbsp rose water and scatter with the reserved onions.
Step 7: Cover with foil and a tight lid and steam on the lowest heat until the rice is tender and fragrant.
25 minStep 8: Serve by scooping down through the layers so everyone gets rice, meat and potato.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 760 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zurbiyan take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of plain yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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