Swahili Chicken Biriyani Recipe: A Step-by-Step How-to

Before ever writing a cookbook, “AfriCali” was the one word that Kiano Moju used to describe her culinary identity. “Kenyan, Nigerian, American was a mouthful,” Moju jokes. “There was a small music movement back in the day called Africali and I really identified with the term. I thought it was a succinct way to describe my culinary point of view.”

That point of view was shaped by Moju’s upbringing in the Bay Area as well as the summers she would spend in Kenya on her maternal grandparents’ Maasai ranch. There, she would participate in every aspect of life on the farm, which included butchering and processing goats and cooking in a traditional kitchen over firewood. “Everything was very much as old school as it got, so I really got to learn the fundamentals of food and cooking while there,” Moju says.

Back in the States, Moju’s exposure was to exciting, international flavors: Eritrean food in Oakland, burritos around campus at Berkeley, Afghani mixed vegetables, and claypot rice from her local Vietnamese restaurant all provided eye-opening experiences.

So when it came time to write — and title — her debut cookbook, it wasn’t hard for Moju to think of a title — or a way to describe her cooking. AfriCali: Recipes from My Jikoni is a celebration of Moju’s roots in Kenya and Nigeria but also a modern approach to African cuisine using prized produce from California. There are stories and recipes from Moju’s childhood but also riffs of classic African dishes that Moju has tasted on her travels throughout the continent.

What Moju feels people get wrong about African cuisine is that cooking it is intimidating, stressful, and requires an excessive amount of time. “The way I grew up cooking, like my mom cooks, is we don’t like stress at all in the kitchen,” she says. “So I’ve always gravitated towards recipes that are as uncomplicated as I can make them without ever sacrificing flavor.” Although cuisine from the coast of Kenya may feel far away, Moju emphasizes that the ingredients can still be approachable — and found at major grocery stores in the U.S.

Take her recipe for Swahili chicken biriyani, for example. In its most simplest form, it is a chicken and rice dish, a comforting meal universally loved and reinterpreted across the globe. Although you might not necessarily think of biriyani (also commonly spelled “biryani”) as an African dish, the trade routes along the Indian Ocean carried this recipe to shore, where the people of the Swahili coast reimagined it to suit their own tastes. “I think we are so used to looking at cuisine as like, country-owned, but well before these countries even existed people have been trading with each other,” Moju says. “We have shared concepts, but the execution varies.”

The Swahili version of biriyani that Moju first tried in Mombasa is much saucier than its Indian counterpart. The spiced basmati rice is tinged yellow with saffron and drowned in a gravy made from succulent chicken thighs. The finishing touch is a crown of freshly fried shallots.

Moju’s biggest tip for making this version of chicken biriyani is to use a wide enough pot so steam can escape and the sauce can reduce. And if you can’t be bothered to fry the shallots yourself, you can always pick up a jar of fried shallots at the store.

“I want people to understand that these flavors can be a part of your everyday cooking,” Moju says. “And this cookbook is showcasing recipes that do just that.”

Swahili Chicken Biriyani Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2½ cups basmati rice

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 tablespoons Garlic Ginger Paste

2 tablespoons Butcher’s Masala

Juice of 1 lemon

Fine sea salt

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

6 shallots or 1 medium red onion

2 fresh medium hot chile peppers, such as serrano or Fresno

4 medium tomatoes

Handful fresh cilantro

1 cup neutral oil, such as avocado or peanut oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

10 cardamom pods

Saffron or ground turmeric

Instructions:

Step 1: Whisk together the yogurt, garlic ginger paste, butcher’s masala, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cut the chicken into 2-inch chunks, toss in the marinade, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Thinly slice the shallots and chile peppers (remove the seeds for a milder flavor). Dice the tomatoes. Roughly chop the cilantro (leaves and stems).

Step 3: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Prepare a plate lined with paper towels and set beside the stove. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook, constantly stirring, until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shallots and place on the paper towel–lined plate to drain, seasoning with salt to taste. Reserve the oil in a heat proof container.

Step 4: Heat ¼ cup of the reserved shallot oil in a wide braising dish or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until darkened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the sliced chiles and all the diced tomatoes. Cover with a lid and cook until the tomatoes have broken down, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and half the fried shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has cooked and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. If needed, remove the lid to let the sauce thicken further.

Step 5: While the chicken is simmering, cook the rice. In a fine mesh strainer or a large bowl, wash the rice under cold water until the water runs nearly clear. This step may need to be repeated two or more times until the water is mostly clear. Transfer the washed and drained rice to a medium pot (you can use the same pot as the shallots). Add 3 cups water, the cardamom pods, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until all the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Mix the saffron with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Once the water has been absorbed by the rice, pour the yellow water over the top, cover, and let steam for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Step 6: To serve family-style, create a base layer of rice on a large serving platter. Spoon the chicken into the center. Top with the reserved fried shallots and sliced chiles.

Garlic Ginger Paste

Makes ⅓ cup

Ingredients:

⅓ pound whole fresh ginger

⅓ pound (about 30) garlic cloves

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Step 1: Leaving the skin on, chop the ginger into ½-inch pieces.

Step 2: Pulse the chopped ginger, garlic, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Butcher’s Masala

Makes ¼ cup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Step 1: Combine the cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, salt, and cinnamon in a small airtight container, making sure to mix well.

Step 2: Cover and store in a cool, dry place.

Excerpted from AfriCali. Copyright © 2024, Kiano Moju. Photography Copyright © 2023 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. All rights reserved.