Turkey Biryani
Updated Nov. 7, 2022
- Total Time
- About 1½ hours, plus time to cook turkey
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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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.
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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.
This dish is as big a part of our thanksgiving tradition as the turkey itself. Such a great way to use up that leftover meat and have a completely different type of meal. However, it’s worth seeking out a better spiced marinade for your turkey than the one listed here. This one is a bit lackluster and I always end up having to amp it up quite a bit. But the bones of this recipe are good.
I used a mandolin for prepping the onions , and added a tiny bit of sugar to the ghee to speed up the frying process. Great recipe! Used chopped chicken thighs which were marinated in the yogurt mix, fried until all the pieces had a bit of color and proceeded as written. Wonderful! Be sure to adjust salt before adding rice and baking.
Has anyone tried this with recipe leftover cooked lamb?