Chicken Biryani
Biryani is an aromatic delight loved and relished by all. A scrumptious and aromatic chicken biryani with juicy and tender chicken that you’ll love to make it over and over again to treat your loved ones. Succulent, juicy pieces of chicken are cooked in a yogurt marinade and then layered with crispy onions, coriander, mint, basmati rice and slow cooked (dum).
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot or casserole
Ingredients
For Cooking Rice:
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
- ½ inch Cinnamon
- 3 pieces Cloves
- 2 large Cardamom
- 1 small Star anise
- 1 sprig Coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 3 cups Water
- 2 tablespoon Salt
To Marinate Chicken:
- 500 grams Chicken
- ½ cup Curd or Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Chilly powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon Salt
To Cook Marinated Chicken:
- 4 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Ghee Clarified butter
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 pieces Bay leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 5 pieces Cloves
- 4 large green Cardamom
- 1 small Star anise
- 2 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 large Onion large sized sliced +1 thinly sliced for browning
- 2 large Green chillies whole
- 3 medium Tomato chopped
- ½ cup Coriander leaves chopped
- ½ cup Mint leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon Salt or as per taste
- 1 cup Water or as required
- 4 pieces Hard boiled eggs or as required (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Mix together all the ingredients mentioned under chicken marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes. The longer marination the better.
- In a pan add the oil. Once the oil is heated add 1 medium onion thinly sliced and fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- In the same oil add in the ghee. Add in the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, star anise and let it crackle.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
- Add in the onions, green chillies and saute till it turns soft.
- Add in the tomatoes and fry till it begins to soften.
- Add in the marinated chicken and salt, mix well, cover and the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Add in the water, cover the pan and continue to cook for about 10 to15 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
- Meantime when the chicken is cooking, bring the water to boil in a pan for cooking the rice.
- Add in the whole spices mentioned in the list.
- When the water starts to boil add in the soaked basmati rice.
- Add few chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook the rice for 5 minutes or till the rice is 70% cooked.
- Drain the water nicely and set aside.
- Once the chicken is done start layering the chicken and rice for dum.
- Take the heavy bottom pot or pan. Add some chicken with masala followed by rice. Next layer some fried onions. Repeat it with the remaining rice, chicken and fried onions.
- Once the layering is over I have covered with aluminum foil which is optional. Cover the pan. Put a cloves on the hole of the cover to prevent the steam from going out and leave on lowest flame for about 15 minutes. Place a flat Tawa at the bottom to prevent burning.
- Your chicken biryani is ready.
- Remove from the flame, open the pan and fluff it with a fork gently and serve with raita.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken always.
- For best result marinate the chicken for longer duration.
- Adjust the spiciness of the biryani as per your heat preference.
- Use heavy bottom pan for the dum. You can place the pan over a tawa/griddle.
- You can use store bought fried onions or can easily make at home. Just thinly slice the onion and deep fry in the oil until golden.
- Use both oil and ghee. But if you don’t want to use ghee, use oil alone in place of ghee.
- You can use a pinch of saffron. Soak the saffron in 2-3 tablespoon of milk and and pour them over the layered biryani. It imparts a rich flavour and aroma.