Chicken Biryani Recipe

Chicken Biryani (NON-VEG RECIPE)

Chicken Biryani is one of my most favorite dishes and definitely one of the most requested meals at my house. We often pair it with cooling raita and a squeeze of fresh lime for a hearty meal. 

There are many variations of this recipe that originate in several states of India. My favorite, of course, is the one made by my mom that I grew up eating. Warm, deep spiced Chicken Biryani, with freshly ground spices, caramelized onions, marinated tender chicken cooked over long grain basmati rice!

Biryani is a rice dish with vegetables, chicken, or fish marinated in yogurt and warm spices such as turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala. It is traditionally slow-cooked by layering the marinated meat or vegetables over the rice and is topped with caramelized onions, aromatic saffron, and fresh cilantro or mint.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled basmati rice

• 1/2 teaspoon mint leaves

• salt as required

• 2 tablespoon refined oil

• 3 green cardamom

• 2 clove

• 2 onion

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 tablespoon garlic paste

• 1 cup hung curd

• 2 tablespoon coriander leaves

• water as required

• 1 tablespoon ghee

• 600 gm chicken

• 1 tablespoon garam masala powder

• 1 teaspoon saffron

• 1 tablespoon bay leaf

• 1 black cardamom

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 4 green chilies

• 1 tablespoon ginger paste

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder

• 1/2 tablespoon ginger

• 2 drops kewra

• 1 tablespoon rose water

Recipe:

• Step 1 Prepare saffron and kewra water

           To make this delightful biryani, soak saffron in water to prepare saffron water. Next, mix kewra drops in water and mix well to make kewra water.

• Step 2 Saute onions and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes

           In the meanwhile, heat refined oil in a deep bottomed pan. Once the oil is hot enough. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves in it, and saute for about a minute. Then, add chopped onion and saute until pink. Now, add chicken into it with slit green chilies, turmeric, salt to taste, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, and green chili paste. Mix well all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, add hung curd into it.

• Step 3 Cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes

          Turn the flame to medium again and add garam masala in it along with ginger julienned, coriander, and mint leaves. Add kewra water, rose water, and saffron water in it. Cook till the chicken is tender.

• Step 4 Serve hot with your favorite chutney or raita

           Then add 1 cup cooked rice and spread evenly. Then add saffron water and pour ghee over it. Cook for 15-20 minutes with a closed lid and garnish with 1 tbsp fried onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Tips:

• The first and foremost important thing to take care of while preparing chicken biryani is, always to use a heavy-bottomed pan as you would not want the chicken to get cooked.

• The restaurant-style chicken biryani uses the whole chicken in preparation and the chicken breast can dry when cooking at home. It's always suggested to use chicken thighs or drums...

• If you want your chicken to be juicier in your biryani, do not remove the bone.

• If your cooked rice has turned sticky, spread it on a plate and leave it for 5 minutes. The rice will be separate and fluffy again.

• Freshly pound spices bring out the best taste in Biryani, so make sure that you dry roast all the whole spices for a good 2-3 minutes and then pound or grind them.