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Chicken Biryani and Mango with Coconut Milk

Biryani is a dish from India and Pakistan. Sometimes it’s called Pulao, which is the same word root as Pilaf. Biryani is spicy-warm, so it’s not recommended for your first few days at high altitude; but after that, it’s thoroughly delightful. Be sure to use real Basmati rice from India. Jasmine rice from Thailand is often sold as Basmati, and while it has a similar flavor and bouquet, its texture is not the same and it doesn’t work with this dish.

At Home

The tomato needs to be peeled before drying. This is actually quite easy. drop the tomato into a pot of freshly boiled water and remove from heat. Leave to sit one for one minute, then plunge the tomato in cold water and leave to sit for another minute. Now the tomato will be easy to peel.

Slice the tomato crosswise ¼ inch thick. Lay the slices on the dehydrator tray without any of them overlapping. Set the thermostat to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and go do something else for 4–12 hours, depending on the relative humidity of the air. When done, the tomato slices will be leathery and stiff without any pockets of moisture. They’ll be softer when they’re hot, so you need to cool your sample before testing it. You don’t want to over-dry your food, because that will make it cook slower. Once the tomato slices have cooled, cut them up into small pieces with some scissors.

Package the Biryani Paste in a small Nalgene jar. Nalgene makes the best containers for backpacking food. Lesser brands may leak and Biryani paste is oily. Freeze-dried chicken comes in 1 ounce pouches and 8 ounce cans. A can is good for 4 meals, but the contents need to be repackaged in plastic pouches with a vacuum sealer. I use the FoodSaver. The Onion Flakes, Basmati Rice, and Golden Raisins should be packaged together in a Zip-Loc bag. The Pistachios would get mushy if they were cooked with the rest of the food, so they get packaged separately and added just before serving. Put the Dried Mango and Protein Powder in their own bags.

You can get Coconut Cream Powder at Thai and other Southeast Asian grocery stores. Inspect the ingredients label carefully, because most brands contain sodium caseinate of non-dairy creamer infamy. You want a brand that only contains coconut and dextrin or malto-dextrin. These two substances are medium-chain carbohydrates, midway between starch and sugar. I recommend Chao Thai brand Coconut Cream Powder. Powdered coconut milk is sweeter than canned coconut milk, but in this dessert that won’t be a problem.

In Camp

The Main Course

I recommend a Nalgene Lexan 500 ml jar for rehydrating food that needs to be presoaked. Pour boiling water over the Chicken and Tomatoes and leave to sit for at least half an hour. You could break out your stove at lunch time and start the chicken soaking then, because the Lexan jar is heat resistant and water tight.

After the Chicken and Tomatoes have finished soaking, pour off the excess liquid into a measuring cup and top up to 1½ cups. You don’t need to increase the amount of water at high altitude. Bring to a boil and while it’s heating stir in the Biryani Paste, Chicken, and Tomatoes. When the water comes to a boil, add the Basmati Rice, Onion Flakes, and Golden Raisins. Stir while it returns to a boil to prevent the grains from sticking to each other. Have someone hold the pot steady while you stir; backpacking stoves are sometimes known to tip over.

Once it’s boiling, cover the pot and lower the heat. Simmer for 15–30 minutes depending on altitude. The shorter time is for sea level and the longer one for 11,000 feet above sea level. This dish doesn’t need any extra water at high altitude. If you were cooking indoors you’d use a very low flame for simmering the rice, but outdoors where there’s windchill, you’re likely to need a medium-low flame. Peeking can make the rice gummy, but you need to make sure it’s actively simmering. Lift up one edge of the lid just enough to get a glimpse of the water. If you’re careful and don’t release too much steam, you won’t do any harm.

Once the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let the Biryani sit for at least 10 minutes with the lid on. Fluff before serving and stir in the Pistachios.

The Dessert

Put the Dried Mango in a 500 ml Nalgene Lexan jar and pour in enough boiling water to cover it. Leave to soak for about 20 minutes, then simmer until soft. Mix the Coconut Cream Powder with ¼ cup cold water, then stir into the stewed mangos. Dessert is now ready to serve. Serve the Protein Powder mixed with water on the side.

Total calories: 2469
Fat grams Carb grams Protein grams Fiber grams Sugar grams
88 343 106 30 141
Fat calories Carb calories Protein calories   Sugar ÷ Carbs
791 1254 423 45%
Percentage of total calories  
32% 51% 17%
Nutritional values for Chicken Biryani and Mango with Coconut Milk

This menu provides the optimum backpacker’s ratio of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. If you want to make any changes to this menu for aesthetic or food allergy reasons, I suggest your download it as an Excel spreadsheet so you can keep track of the changes in nutritional values.

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