Thai Chicken Biryani-Khao Mok Gai (ข้าวหมกไก่)

This Chicken Biryani in Thai "kao" refers to rice, "mok" refers to hide or cover, and "gai" refers to chicken. There are multiple steps in cooking chicken with fragrant yellow rice, but please give it a try and it is well worth it. I promise, you and your family are going to like it.  

Yesterday, I went to shop for groceries to be prepared for the first snow day. I found a good deal and got a few packages of chicken. When I came home I started thinking, what am I going to do with it? The simple solution was just put them in the freezer, but I was thinking about the recipe my family would love to eat. Have you ever got in this situation before? Last night, I was seriously thinking about a Thai chicken recipe I could use. Then the recipe came to my head reminding me about my childhood meal - the indulgent chicken rice I had in my high school cafeteria. I always loved it. I have made it yesterday and we already finished it. Now I have to make it again. Let's get cooking ka! 

Ingredients: Serves 4 

Marinated Chicken 

2 pounds chicken, this dish normally makes with bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, but I used skinless and bone-less chicken thighs 

1 tablespoon chopped ginger 

5 garlic cloves 

1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional) 

1 shallot, cut into pieces 

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon whole or ground clove 

2 bay leaves 

1/3 cup plain yogurt, I used my homemade kefir 

1 tablespoon butter 

Make the yellow rice 

3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear, drained well. I used brown rice. 

2 bay leaves 

2 cinnamon sticks 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric or saffron 

water for boiling rice 

Fried shallot

vegetable or canola oil

2 heads shallots, thinly sliced 

 Dipping Sauce 

2 tablespoons dried shrimp, pounded 

4 garlic cloves, pounded  

2 tomatoes, diced 

1/2 red bell pepper, diced 

1 Thai chili, seedless, chopped, add more if desired  

handful cilantro stems or roots 

1/2 teaspoon palm sugar 

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon tumarine juice 

2 tablespoons white vinegar 

salt to taste  

cucumber and lettuce leaves for serving 

cilantro for garnish  

Instructions: 

Make the marinated chicken

In a mortar and pestle or food processor, add garlic, shallot, ginger, whole black pepper, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and pound together into a paste. 

In a mixing bowl, add yogurt or kefir, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, clove, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and stir well. 

In a plastic bag, add chicken, spices and herbs paste, and yogurt mixture into the bag including bay leaves. Marinate chicken at least an hour. 

Make the yellow rice 

In a pot, pour water, add salt, sugar, cinnamon sticks, turmeric powder, and rice into the pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir well. Boil rice about 10 minutes or until the rice became yellow color. Turn off the heat and drain well. Reserve a few tablespoons of yellow water in case the rice is not cooked well. 

Make the fried shallots 

Add cooking oil in a wok or a pan over medium heat. Stir in thinly sliced shallots and fry until golden brown. Transfer fried shallots to the paper towel. Set aside. 

Make the chicken rice

In the same wok or a sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and the oil from fried shallot. Heat the oil on medium hight heat until hot. Add chicken and sear until the chicken turn light brown both side. Turn off the heat. 

In a large soup pot with cover, if use the skinless chicken had better use the nonstick pan or pot. Add shallot oil or oil and place chicken around the pot including the marinade. Sprinkle some fried shallots. Add the yellow rice on top of the chicken. This process calls "mok gai" or hiding the chicken by covering them with the rice. Cover and simmer over lower heat about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and tender. If the rice is dry or not cooked, sprinkle a few spoons of water.  

Make the dipping sauce

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and stir well. Add a few tablespoons water by adding water into the food processor and stir well and add into the pan. Bring to a boil and adjust the seasonings. This sauce has a sweet, sour, and a little bit spicy taste. Please add more chopped chilies if desired. I used a pestle and mortar to pound dried shrimp and garlic. 

Serve the chicken and rice alongside with a dipping sauce and raw veggies such as sliced cucumbers and lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with fried shallots and cilantro leaves.  

Enjoy ka!