I always wanted to cook Biryani, but I was discouraged every time I read recipes and methods. There is a long list of ingredients and it’s not easy to prepare. So, I decided to cook a similar rice dish using similar ingredients, but in the Japanese way using my rice cooker. It’s a ‘Mazegohan’. Rice and other ingredients are cooked separately, then combined after everything is cooked. This dish is delicious and easy to cook if you have a rice cooker.

Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups (*180ml cup) Basmati Rice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Bay Leaf
1 pinch Saffron *optional
Coriander, Parsley OR Spring Onion, etc. for topping
Fried Onion for topping *I used store-bought Fried Shallots

Chicken Curry
500g Chicken Fillets *cut into chunky bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1/4 to 1/2 cup Unsweetened Greek Yoghurt
2 to 3 tablespoons Oil
1 clove Garlic *finely chopped
1 small piece Ginger *finely chopped
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Bay Leaf
1 Onion *thinly sliced
1 Tomato *cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon Salt *alter the amount to suit your taste

Method
  1. Cut Chicken Fillets into chunky bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl, add Curry Powder, Garam Masala and Yoghurt, mix to combine, and set aside for 30 minutes OR while you are preparing other ingredients.
  2. Chop up Garlic and Ginger finely, thinly slice Onion, cut Tomato into small pieces.
  3. Rinse Basmati Rice, place in the rice cooker’s inner pot, add water up to the 2-cups marking, sprinkle with Salt, add Bay Leaf and 1 pinch Saffron, and press ‘COOK’ button to start cooking. *Note: If your rice cooker has ‘Quick Cook’ setting, please use it so that the Rice will be cooked firmly.
  4. Place Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Cumin Seeds and Bay Leaf in a frying pan, heat over medium heat. When aromatic, add Onion and stir. When Onion is transparent, add Tomato.
  5. When Tomato is soft, add Chicken mixture and stir, cover with a lid, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. When Chicken is cooked, remove the lid and cook until the sauce thickens.
  6. When the Rice is cooked, pour the Chicken mixture over the cooked Rice, close the lid, and leave it for 10 minutes in the Rice cooker’s remaining heat.

  7. Roughly mix, sprinkle with some Coriander, Parsley OR Spring Onion, etc. Serve with a refreshing salad. ‘Cucumber & Tomato Yoghurt Salad with Cumin’ goes very well with this dish. *Note: Fried Onion can be a good topping.