Chinese Chicken Biryani / Fried Rice

Step 1: Prepare and Cook the Eggs

In a bowl, crack 4 eggs. Add salt, black pepper, and a pinch of yellow food coloring. Whisk well. Add a little milk and mix again. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a pan, pour in the egg mixture, and cook until set. Scramble the eggs into small pieces and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Rice and Chicken

Wash 2 cups of basmati rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 700g of boneless chicken into long, thin strips. Also, peel and finely chop one head of garlic.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken

In a large wok, heat 4 tbsp of oil. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until it turns a light pink color. Add the chopped white parts of the green onions, followed by the chicken strips. Stir-fry on high heat until the chicken changes color and is cooked through.

Step 4: Stir-fry Vegetables and Sauces

To the cooked chicken, add black pepper, salt, chilli flakes, and chopped green chillies. Mix well. Add the julienned carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the green peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of water, cover, and let the vegetables cook. Once tender, add the shredded cabbage, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Stir-fry without a lid. Add half of the chopped green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, hot chilli sauce, half of the scrambled eggs, cumin seeds, and vinegar. Mix everything together.

Step 5: Boil the Rice

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add green cardamoms, brown cardamom, star anise, cloves, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp vinegar, and 2 tbsp salt. Add the soaked and drained rice. Boil on high heat for 3 minutes, or until the rice is 95% cooked. Immediately strain the rice in a colander and let it sit for 10 minutes to drain completely.

Step 6: Layer the Biryani

Remove half of the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture from the wok and set it aside. Create a layer of boiled rice over the remaining mixture in the wok. Top with some cooked eggs, green onions, and the reserved chicken-vegetable mixture. Add some cilantro and green chillies. Add another layer of rice. Top with the remaining chicken-vegetable mixture, green onions, cilantro, and cooked eggs. Finally, add the last layer of rice. Drizzle 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp hot chilli sauce, and 1 tsp cooking oil over the top. Garnish with the remaining cooked eggs and green onions.

Step 7: Steam and Serve

Turn the heat to high for a minute to build up steam inside the wok. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the wok with a lid, and let it steam ('dum') for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid for 1 minute, then cover again and let it rest for 5 minutes. Gently mix the layers together and serve hot.

• Adding a little milk to the eggs before scrambling makes them fluffy and soft.

• Soak Basmati rice for 40 minutes before boiling. If using Sella rice, soak it for 2 hours.

• Adding a teaspoon of oil and vinegar to the boiling water helps keep the rice grains separate and non-sticky.

• Do not completely dry out the water from the chicken and vegetable mixture; a little moisture helps steam the rice and keeps the dish from being too dry.

• For a nice crunch and fresh flavor, add some raw, thinly sliced green bell peppers during the final layering step.

• After steaming, let the biryani rest for 5 minutes off the heat before mixing. This allows the flavors to meld together.

• Chicken powder or MSG (Chinese salt) can be added for an enhanced umami flavor, though it was not used in this recipe.

• Cilantro is optional and can be omitted if you don't prefer its taste.

• Yellow food coloring in the eggs is for aesthetic purposes and can be skipped.