I am a Biriyani lover. Once I make up my mind to eat some, there is no looking back. I cook.
I wonder why I have not written a recipe here to make a perfect, easy-to-make chicken biriyani for you all. Given that my husband adores the different varieties of Biriyanis that I prepare, I make sure to cook them when his comrades come over.
It is a pre-conceived notion preparing a Biriyani is a herculean task; that it requires many ingredients and is also time-consuming. However, I decided to make an easier version of this dish without compromising on its taste.
Chicken Biriyani is a classic Indian rice dish where the rice is layered, sealed and cooked with chicken and spices. It dates back to the royal kitchens of the Mughals and is now popular across the globe. Since the dish is cooked in an airtight pot on a very low flame, the rice absorbs the rich flavours of the meat.
The rice is cooked first, but only until 3/4th done. Thus, when the final dish is completed, it enables the grains to remain separate and unbroken. Chickn Biriyani can be served on a formal/informal occasions and also for lunch/dinner.
Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biriyani
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- Chicken – cut into medium sized pieces – 400gm
- Basmati Rice – 3 cups
- Coriander leaves- a handful, finely chopped
- Mint leaves- a handful, finely chopped
- Boiled eggs – 2
For Marination of Chicken
- Ginger-garlic paste- 2tbsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
- Cardamon powder- 1 tsp
- Yogurt – 1 cup
- Ghee – 3 tbsp
- Coriander leaves- a handful, finely chopped
- Mint leaves- a handful, finely chopped
- Green chillies- 3, finely chopped
- 1/2 of the browned onions after 5 finely sliced onions are fried
- Lime jiuce – of 1 lime
- Salt- to taste
For Cooking Rice
- Cinnamon- 1 inch stick
- Cardamom – 3
- Cloves- 3
- Star anise – 2
- Peppercorns- few
- Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
- Bay leaves- 2
- Salt- to taste
- Water- 6 cups
For garnish:
- Fried cashews- a handful
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash and soak rice in water and keep aside.
- Fry/brown the finely chopped onions and keep aside.
- Fry the boiled eggs and keep aside
- Take a deep heavy bottom vessel and let’s marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed under marination. Keep aside.This is the same vessel that you would be using to layer the rice and completing the final dish.
- Heat water and add the ingredients for cooking the rice. Let it boil. Add the soaked rice and cook till 3/4th done.
Layering the Biriyani:
- To the marinated chicken, add a layer of the 3/4th cooked rice.
- Add about 2 tbsp of browned onions, mint leaves, coriander leaves, a tsp of garam masala powder and cardamon powder.
- Layer again with cooked rice and repeat the process.
- You can add 3 tbsp of saffron soaked in milk, 2 tbsp of ghee and fried cashews on top of this final layer.
- Add little more ghee on the sides of the rice so that it gets into the chicken beneath.
- Cover the vessel and you can either seal it with dough or a cloth. This helps in creating steam inside and retains the moisture. Cook in high heat for about eight minutes. And you can find steam coming out from the sides.
- Lower the flame and cook for another ten minutes.
- The raw chicken would be cooked through and so will the 3/4th cooked rice be.
- Garnish with browned onions and fried cashews.
- Serve hot with pappad, onion-tomato raita and fried boiled egg.
Notes
You can skip adding saffron milk, if you do not have. I didn’t.
Do not overcook the rice. Keep an eye on it as basmati rice tends to cook faster. It is advisable not to multi-task when the rice is being cooked.
You can reduce the amount of ghee, if required.
You can also skip sealing the vessel with a dough or a cloth. Make sure it is however, tightly closed with a lid.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
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Hi Shalini
I really like this post because of its detailing of ingredients. I think I have to start cooking LOL. Keep it up niceee
★★★★
Hi Shalini
I really like this post because of its detailing of ingredients. I think I have to try cooking LOL . Nice keep it up.
Wow! This is one recipe that I’ve wanted for a long time! Will try it the next time I go home. Thanks for sharing Shalini 🙂
I’m a sucker for a well-cooked biryani. It is a decadent dish & a meal fit for royalty. Only keep a spot for catching those winks after going through a plate/potful of it 😀
Cheers
Love for Biryani is unending.. Superb recipe gonna try asap
I have always been a chicken lover but never knew of these hacks.Shall try the recipe soon
I absolutely love chicken biriyani. I see you added yogurt… My husband makes a version completely cooked in yogurt… Like heaps and heaps… This sounds like that… Easy to make and absolutely delicious
Yum! YUM! I love Chicken Biryani too! And bar the mint leaves, the eggs and the browned onions (just being lazy in this step) I cook in almost the same way. Onion-tomato raita is a perfect accompaniment!
Aditi
This looks amazing! I’ll try this some day. It still seems complicated for this super reluctant cook! 😉
I must surely try it this weekend, will let u know how it tasted dear 🙂
Shalz, biriyani is my favourite too, I can never resist biriyani even on a worst day. loved your recipe, looks awesome! http://simpleindianmom.in/cockroach-milk-the-new-protein-superfood-that-may-find-place-with-cows-milk/ /
Yumm and this is almost my way off cooking it. Biryani is a passion of mine and I have tried to eat as many varieties as I could, am sure there are more to discover 🙂 Lovely post.
It is not fair. You just caused me midnight hunger. That too for Chicken Biryani only 🙁
Not a meat eater, but love the photos !
I just love chicken biryani …but this is really easy recipe 🙂
You always make me hungry, girl! Always. I love biryani and I’m going to try your version, Will let you know how it goes 🙂
I had chicken biryani today only..my family loves it but will surely try this recipe too 🙂
Yum scrum! Definitely will try it when my kitchen is operational.
Being a veggie I really like veg biryani.
Want to see something good from your side for us veggies too 😉
Looks very tempting eventhough I am a pure vegetarian.
The pics look so tempting :). Though I do have non – veg, for some reason, I haven’t ever cooked it at home. Seeing your recipe and my tingling taste buds, I guess I need to start sooner rather than later :D.
As you can guess what with my size and me being a Malabar boy, chicken biryani is nirvana for me 🙂
Most versions of the Thalaserry Biryani are. In fact, we had prawns biryani today and as I see your recipe, I can envision most of it following the same set of steps
Cooking Biryani could take many hours, but it is a labor of love! Chicken Biryani is my favorite. It is a one pot healthy recipe. It is full of traditional flavors and very easy to prepare especially going by your recipe. And after reading and SEEING your post I so badly want to have Biryani, may be tomorrow for sure. I can have it for lunch as well as dinner. Now I have always loved eating biryani but never knew how to cook one at home. The real reason being that I was really scared at the thought as I did not have any handy easy way but not anymore.
Thanks very much, Romila. That made my day! 🙂
Please try and I’m sure you would love it <3
Hmm.. I want to have a biriyani this week after reading the post!
Please do 🙂 🙂