Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ kgchicken
skinless bone-in or boneless, large pieces such as thighs, drumsticks, legs or mix of all
- 3 tbspplain yogurt
curd or dahi
- 1 ¼ tbspginger garlic paste
1 inch ginger & 4 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ tspsalt
- ¼ tspturmeric
- ½ tspred chilli powder)
(or paprika
- ½ tbspgaram masala)
(or biryani masala
- 1 tbspLemon juice
- 1bay leaf
tej patta
- 4green cardamoms
choti elaichi
- 6 clove6 cloves)
(lavang
- 1inch cinnamon
dalchini
- 1star anise
chakri phool
- ¾ tspshahi jeera )
(caraway seeds
- 1strand mace
javitri, omit if you don't like
- 2 cbasmati rice
aged rice only
- 2 tbspghee
- 1 largeonion
sliced thinly
- ¼ cmint leaves)
chopped fine (about 15 leaves
- 1green chili
slit or chopped
- ¼ cplain yogurt
Indian curd
- ¼ tspred chili powder
- 1 tspgaram masala
- 3 cwater)
(3½ cups for pot
- ¾ tspsalt
to stir in water
- 2 tbspfried onions
- 1 pinchsaffron)
(optional
Directions
Preparation
- 1
To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice & red chili powder.
- 2
Mix up well and taste the marinade. Add more salt and spice if needed.
- 3
Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade & mix well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to overnight.
- 4
Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins.
How to make chicken biryani
- 1
Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
- 2
Add whole spices - bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, shahi jeera & mace. Skip them if you do not have.
- 3
When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions & fry them evenly stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
- 4
Add chicken & saute until pale for 5 mins on a medium heat.
- 5
Cover & cook on a low flame until the chicken is soft cooked or tender. Saute to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
- 6
Taste test and add more salt if needed. Add yogurt (curd), half of the chopped mint leaves, slit green chili, red chili powder & garam masala.
Layering
- 1
Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom. (check video)
- 2
Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
- 3
To a separate pot, pour water. If cooking in a pot use more water.
- 4
Add salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty. Bring this to a rolling boil.
- 5
Pour 2 cups of this hot water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice. (check video)
- 6
Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle the rest of the mint leaves. Optionally add fried onions & saffron soaked milk if using.
- 7
Pot method - If cooking in a pot, cover and cook on a medium flame until the rice in the chicken biryani is cooked completely but not mushy or undercooked. (Takes me 15 mins, from the time the water boils in the pot, may be different for you). If the rice is still under cooked or hard & there is no water at the bottom, pour ¼ to ½ cup more boiling water depending on the kind of rice used and cook further. When done it has to be fully cooked, yet remain grainy but not mushy.
- 8
Cooker method - Set the flame to medium high. Cover & place the whistle. Cook until you hear 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further.
- 9
Rest until the pressure drops naturally. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork.
- 10
Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from the bottom layer.
- 11
Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies, papad and shorba (biryani gravy).
Chicken Biryani Recipe
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About this Recipe
Craving a flavorful, aromatic, and spicy main course that's easier to make than you think? This Chicken Biryani recipe delivers authentic taste right in your kitchen, perfect even for beginners.
What makes this biryani truly special is its clever one-pot approach, blending fragrant basmati rice, tender chicken, and a symphony of whole and ground spices. You'll achieve a deeply delicious and spicy dish without complicated steps, making it an ideal entry point for mastering biryani at home.
Prepare for a truly aromatic and delicious experience, where each spoonful offers a harmonious blend of tender chicken and perfectly cooked basmati rice infused with warm spices. You'll taste the subtle notes of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, balanced by the savory chicken and a pleasant heat from the red chili powder. This main course is designed to be spicy, but you can adjust the chili powder to your preference, resulting in a satisfying and comforting meal.
Feel free to use either skinless bone-in or boneless chicken pieces like thighs or drumsticks. For a different flavor profile, you can omit the star anise or mace if they're not to your liking. If shahi jeera (caraway seeds) isn't available, cumin makes an excellent substitute. Enhance the aroma and richness with optional fried onions and saffron soaked in hot milk, or add a splash of lemon juice for brightness.
This delightful Chicken Biryani is a standalone feast, ideal for weekend family dinners or special gatherings. Serve it alongside cooling raita (yogurt dip) or a rich salan (gravy) to complete the meal and balance the spicy flavors.