Okolea Krisi Na Rina

We all agree that it’s been a tough year financially with many households having to scale back on their family budgets. Most people will also skip buying expensive food like meat whilst others will prefer to stay indoors and not go on holidays.

With that in mind, Rina can Okolea your Krisi by giving you simple hacks to help you save on oil. One hack is to reuse Rina as this will help you save that extra shilling. There is no clear rule as to how many times you can reuse oil, but after it becomes cloudy, has a funny odour, or has developed a layer of film on top, it’s time to discard it for a new batch.

Now that you have that tip, let’s deep dive into a festive recipe.

CHICKEN Biryani Recipe

This recipe serves 6

• 5 kg chicken (remove skin)
• 4 cans of crushed tomatoes (8 to 10 tomatoes chopped and blended)
• 2 small cans of tomato paste
• 4 large onions
• Teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon of Rina vegetable oil
• 1/2 a glass of plain yoghurt
• 6 eggs
• Mint, corriander, mixed biryani spice, garam masala spice and curcuma (turmeric)
• 6 Stock cubes
• 3 cups of basmati rice (for 6 people)
• Orange food colouring
• 2 bay leaf, thyme, cinnamon and 6 green cardamom pods
• Rina cooking oil and salt

The Rice:

1. Wash your rice until the water from the rice is clear. (Use 3 cups of rice for 6 people.)
2. Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes.
3. To cook the rice, pour water into a large cooking pot. (Put any amount of water if it completely covers the rice). Add green cardamoms, cinnamon, and star anise, 1 tablespoon of Rina vegetable oil and salt to taste.
4. Boil the eggs for 8 minutes only since the eggs will continue cooking in the Biriyani sauce then cool them and peel then set aside.
5. Boil the water. Add the soaked rice in the boiling water, let it cook for 5 minutes, or until the water starts bubbling again (drain the rice as soon as you see the first bubbles of boiling). Do not cook the rice all the way.
6. Transfer your rice on a baking try. Spread evenly.
7. Mix your food colouring with milk, use 1/2 a teaspoon with 1/2 glass of milk. You can use water if you wish. Sprinkle the food colouring mixture randomly on the rice. At this stage don’t mix the rice until it’s completely cooked.
8. Cover the rice with foil. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and let the rice cook for the remaining 5 minutes.
9. Remove the rice from the oven and delicately mix with a big spoon to evenly spread around the Orange and White rice.

            The Chicken Biryani:

1. Prepare your chicken (1.5 kg), remove the chicken skin then add a teaspoon of ginger paste, garlic paste and 2 to 3 stock cubes.
2. Add water to the chicken level. Boil the chicken until blood stops oozing from the bones. Do not cook the chicken completely because it will continue cooking in the biryani sauce.
3. Chop 4 large onions.
4. Heat some Rina oil, add in your chopped onions.
5. Brown your Onions.
6. Add in your crushed tomatoes (three medium tins). You can use 8 to 10 chopped and blended tomatoes.
7. Stir to blend the tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.
8. Add in a small can of tomato paste or 2 tablespoons.
9. Stir and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Add in your spices, a teaspoon of garam masala, biryani masala and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric.
11. Add in 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 2 to 3 stock cubes and salt to taste.
12. Stir and cook for a few minutes. You will know that the sauce is ready for the chicken when the oil starts coming up. Please make sure the sauce is well cooked before adding the boiled chicken. This is to ensure the tomato sauce and the spices are well cooked. If the sauce starts sticking on the bottom of the cooking pot add some cooking oil and stir.
13. Add in the browned onions.
14. Add in the drained boiled chicken. Do not add the chicken stock to the sauce. Keep it and use it for other recipes.
15. Stir and add 1/2 glass of plain yoghurt.
16. Stir from time to time to avoid sticking and burning and let the chicken cook until it’s very soft. Remember to keep the lid on while cooking.
17. Add the boiled eggs and cook for a further 5 minutes.
18. Add the chopped mint and coriander and put off the heat. Mix well and set aside.