Free recipe
Chicken Biryani
Built around basmati rice and chicken -- the method starts by marinating the chicken in the yogurt.
Anchored by basmati rice, chicken and plain yogurt, this Indian dish starts by marinating the chicken in the yogurt and comes together in about 40 minutes -- the kind of advanced recipe that earns a permanent spot in the rotation.
A 40-minute cook time that's mostly hands-off simmering or roasting.
A more involved technique that rewards patience with real depth of flavor.
Built around basmati rice, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless chicken, cut into chunks
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic and 1-inch ginger, made into a paste
- 2 tbsp biryani masala (or garam masala + 1 tsp chili powder)
- 1/4 tsp saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
- 1/2 cup chopped mint and cilantro
- 4 tbsp ghee or oil
- 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods, salt
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, garlic-ginger paste, biryani masala, and 1 teaspoon salt for at least 30 minutes (longer is better).
Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak it 20 minutes and drain.
Fry the sliced onions in the ghee over medium heat 10-12 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Remove half for garnish.
To the onions left in the pan, add the marinated chicken and cook 8-10 minutes until about 70 percent cooked and the yogurt has thickened.
Meanwhile, boil the drained rice with the whole spices in plenty of salted water for just 5-6 minutes until 70 percent cooked (still firm), then drain.
Layer the par-cooked rice over the chicken. Drizzle with the saffron milk and scatter over the fried onions, mint, and cilantro.
Cover with a tight lid (or seal with foil) and cook on the lowest heat 20 minutes - this gentle steaming (dum) finishes the rice and melds the flavors. Do not lift the lid.
Rest 10 minutes off the heat, then gently fluff and lift from the bottom so the layers mix. Serve with yogurt raita.
The step worth not rushing: Cover with a tight lid (or seal with foil) and cook on the lowest heat 20 minutes - this gentle steaming (dum) finishes the rice and melds the flavors. Do not lift the lid.
