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Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Learn how to make this simple delicious Chicken Biryani at home. Biryani is prepared from basmati rice and meat mixed with aromatic spices like cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, garam masala and many more
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Servings 10

Ingredients
  

Fried Onions

  • 4 medium onions, halved and finely sliced
  • 1/3 cup butter melted or ghee
  • 1/2 cup oil for frying.

Cooked Basmati Rice

  • 2 tbsp oil or melted butter or ghee
  • 10 cloves
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 3 cups uncooked basmati rice
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • few cashew nuts

Cooked Chicken

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 lb boneless chicken thigh or bone in chicken pieces, cut in to medium to large pieces
  • 4 tomatoes cut in to small pieces
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 10 garlic cloves crushed finely
  • 2 tbsp ginger crushed finely
  • 10 green chilies crushed (Adjust to your spiciness)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp garam marsala
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 cup yogurt plain

For Garnish

  • Fried Onions
  • Chopped Coriander/cilantro
  • Cashew Nuts

Instructions
 

Fried Onion

  • Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion. The oil should be about the same level as onion. If it is not the same level then you can add a bit more ghee (melted butter) or oil.
  • While the onion is getting cooked add 3 pods of cardamom to the oil.
  • Stir frequently and cook onion until it is golden brown. Immediately remove on to paper towel and spread it. Make sure not to overcook, it will have burned bitter taste. We will use the leftover ghee/oil mixture for cooking rice.

Cooked Basmati Rice

  • Rince basmati rice very well.
  • Soak Rice for 10 minutes and drain it very well
  • Heat oil in a saucepan
  • Add 10 cloves, 6 cardamom pods, 2 small cinnamon sticks, cashew nuts, fry all spices for about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add 4 1/2 cup water and bring the water to boil. The correct rice to water ratio is 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cup of water (1: 1.5). This ratio is good for most types of rice. If the rice to water ratio is not correct the rice will be sticky and gluey. It is very important to have the correct ratio.
  • Add salt to the water
  • Add rice and bring to simmer on medium-high heat without a lid
  • When the water is bubbly and starts to thicken, cover with a lid, and turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes or until rice is just cooked, still a bit firm in the middle and all water is evaporated. Rice only needs to be cooked about 75% and keep it aside.

Cooked Chicken

  • Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add crushed ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add thinly sliced tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup water. Water should be about the same level as tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until it is very soft over medium heat. Stir frequently.
  • Add chicken pieces
  • Add salt
  • Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir it very well.
  • Add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp garam masala, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 cup yogurt
  • Add fresh coriander leaves, fried onions (leave some fried onion and coriander leaves for garnishing later)
  • Cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. The gravy should be thick and cover the base of the pan and also about the same level as chicken pieces. It shouldn’t be dry.
  • Add rice on top of chicken (Do not mix, just top with rice)
  • scatter fried onions, coriander leaves
  • Drizzle ghee from fried onion across the rice surface in a random pattern
  • scatter 1/2 tsp garam masala across the rice surface
  • Cover the pan with Aluminium foil and then a lid.
  • Turn down heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes
  • Remove from the heat, let it rest for another 10 minutes.

To Serve Biryani

  • Take the nice patches of white rice and yellow rice from the top of the chicken to a separate bowl (don't mix all together).
  • Serve mix of white rice, yellow rice on one side and chicken pieces on the other side. Garnish with remaining onion and coriander leaves. Raita and cocumbe salad as side dish.

Notes

  1. Chicken thigh is the best option. 
  2. I used Tilda Basmati rice but you can experiment with other types of rice
  3. Garam masala is an Indian spice mix that is available in supermarkets or you can find it online.
  4. You can find the fried onion online or in supermarkets or Indian grocery stores.
  5. Ghee is clarified butter. You can either make it at home or find it in the Indian section of supermarkets.
  6. The recipe calls for plain yogurt.
  7. You can keep the leftover in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, just reheat in the microwave. If you want to keep it longer you should try to freeze it.