Chicken Biriyani is a flavorful tasty and special Indian rice dish prepared with lot of spices.Chicken can be marinated the previous night or for at least 4 hours and refrigerated to make the best flavorful Biriyani. I learnt this recipe from my younger sister. She prepares some amazingly tasty chicken curries and biriyani. Chicken Biryani can be made under 30 minutes.Basically preparing dum style biriyani involves 4 steps. In the first step sliced onions are fried till golden brown. In second step rice is half cooked in whole spices like bay leaf,cumin seeds,salt and some ghee and kept aside. In the third step chicken/vegetables are also half cooked in oil,spices,salt and yogurt. In the fourth step layering part of rice and chicken/vegetables and allowing it to cook on slow fire is done. .
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Marination Time: 4 To 6 Hour
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Serves : 8 to 10 Servings
Ingredients:
- Chicken: 1 kg
- Rice: 3 cups
- Onion: 3 medium sized
- Green Chili: 6 to 8 slit
- Mint Leaves: ½ cup(finely chopped)
- Fresh Coriander Leaves: 1 cup (finely chopped)
- Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tablespoons
- Whole Spices: 3 cardamom, 3 cloves, 10 black Pepper, small Stick cinnamon
- Cumin Seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Bay Leaves: 3 leaves
- Saffron: 8 To 10 Strands (soak into ½ cup milk)
- Rose Water: 1/2 teaspoon(Optional)
- Oil or Ghee: 4 tablespoons
Ingredients for marination:
- Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon
- Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
- Coriander Powder: 2 teaspoons
- Cumin Powder: 1 teaspoon
- Lemon: 1 medium sized
- Curd: 2 cups
- Salt: 1 1/2 teaspoon
- Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
Procedure :
- Clean chicken and cut into big pieces and wash in water. Drain excess water and keep aside.
- Now it’s time to prepare the marination masala. Take a bowl and put 2 cups of curd. Add turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, Juice of 1 lemon and mix well.
- Add chicken pieces to the marination. Apply the marination masala evenly to all the chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep in refrigerator for about 4 To 6 hours.
- Cut onions into slices. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion slices to golden brown. Drain excess oil and keep aside.
- Take a pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add all whole spices like cardamon,black Pepper,Cinnamon Stick,clove,bay leaves,cumin seeds. Fry for 1 minute. Add marinated chicken.
- Fry chicken for some time to remove excess water and all the spices to mix well into the chicken. Remove from fire and keep aside.
- Take another pan and boil 8 to 10 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil and mix.
- Wash Rice with water. Add rice to boiling water. Cook Rice to 80% and drain the water and keep aside.
- Now it’s time to cook biriyani in a handi. Take a heavy bottomed Pan. Apply ghee at the bottom of the pan. Place half of the chicken at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some brown onions and some finely chopped mint.
- Add half amount of rice and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of chopped mint leaves and finely chopped coriander leaves. Pour half of saffron milk and 1 teaspoon ghee. Sprinkle half of fried brown onions on top of rice.
- Repeat the process again with the remaining chicken and rice.
- Sprinkle coriander leaves and mint leaves on top of the rice. Pour some ghee and remaining saffron milk and brown onions.
- Cover the pan tightly with a lid. If you want you can seal the lid with a dough. (mix wheat flour and water and prepare dough).
- Allow to cook Biryani on slow flame for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from fire and keep aside 10 minutes before opening the lid.
- Serve Chicken Biriyani along with raita and lemon.
Note:
- You can use any ready made garam masala or freshly prepared biriyani masala(grind 4 green cardamom,1 inch cinnamon stick, 6 cloves,8 peppercorns,1 teaspoon fennel seeds,1 teaspoon shahi jeera together).
- For additional flavor in restaurants Rose water or Kewra essence are also used. Layering of rice and chicken/vegetables can be done in 2 layers or more depending on the quantity of the Biriyani
Chef Radhika 