The biryani is a dish that was created by the Mughal dynasty and has since become popular throughout South Asia. It is essentially rice cooked in spices with meat or vegetables and typically served with a yogurt-based sauce. This chicken biryani recipe concocts this time-honored dish in just over an hour, and the results are satisfyingly aromatic and tasty! So what are you waiting for? Let's get cooking!
Ingredients
Brown Onions
▢2 Onions Large
▢½ cup Vegetable Oil
Chicken Marinade:
▢700 grams Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks bone-in and skinless (Note 2)
▢¾ cup Yogurt or hung curd
▢¼ cup Tomato Puree
▢¼ cup Vegetable Oil
▢1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste minced ginger and garlic
▢1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder sub with 1 teaspoon Paprika + 1 teaspoon Cayenne
▢1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
▢1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
▢2 tablespoon Brown Onions
▢1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
Saffron:
▢2 tablespoon Hot Milk
▢10-15 Saffron strands
Parboiled Rice (70% cooked):
▢2 cups Basmati Rice Note 3
▢6 cups Water
▢2 tablespoon salt
▢1 Bayleaf
▢5-6 Cloves
▢2-3 Cardamom Pods
Other Biryani Ingredients:
▢1 cup Mint Leaves fresh
▢1 cup Coriander Leaves Cilantro
▢1 ½ tablespoon Ghee or Butter
Preparations
1. Marinate the chicken in half a cup of yogurt mixed with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder(cinnamon sticks), black pepper powder(coriander seeds) for at least two hours.
2. Cook the rice in water and a tablespoon of ghee. Make sure it is at least 10 percent more than the amount of rice. Mix turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, and half a cup of curd.
3. Heat the oil in a pot and add cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom pods. Once it starts spluttering add onions and salutes till transparent; then add boiled chicken, yogurt, and marinade mixture and cook on slow heat till chicken is 80% done. Add red chili powder, coriander powder (dry roast coriander seeds in ghee), salt as per taste, 1 cup of water to cook chicken well.
4. Then add the cooked rice to the pot and also cook for a few minutes. Add garam masala and ghee, stir well and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
5. Now add crushed tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, and other spices, and cook for 5-10 minutes on low heat till the tomato is completely blended with the chicken mixture. Lower flame and simmer in slow heat till chicken is completely done (about 20-25 minutes).
6. If you want more flavor, then add water up to 1/2 cup more (or as suits your taste). Now garnish according to requirements like lemon juice, coriander leaves, etc.
7. Serve with salad and plain curd. For more garnishing, you can use onion rings, fried onion rings or cut-in-half lemon slices, or cut-in-half bell pepper slices.
