Chicken Biryani Recipe

Chicken biryani is a popular South Asian dish made with rice, chicken, and a blend of aromatic spices. Here’s a basic recipe for making chicken biryani:

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 1 kg chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt to taste

For the Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• 4 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste

For the Biryani:

• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• Saffron strands soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk
• Fried onions (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and salt. Add the chicken pieces and coat them well with the marinade. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
2. Cook the rice: In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice along with bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and salt. Cook until the rice is 70% cooked, then drain the rice and set aside.
3. Prepare the biryani: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside for garnish.
4. Add the marinated chicken to the pot with the remaining onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is partially cooked and the marinade is fragrant.
5. Layer the biryani: Spread half of the partially cooked rice evenly over the chicken layer. Sprinkle half of the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, cilantro, and mint leaves over the rice. Repeat the layers with the remaining rice, tomatoes, green chilies, cilantro, and mint leaves.
6. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk over the top layer of rice. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice is tender.
7. Once done, gently fluff the biryani with a fork, garnish with fried onions, and serve hot with raita (yogurt sauce) or salad.

Enjoy your delicious homemade chicken biryani!