My Chicken Biryani

My Chicken Biryani
My Chicken Biryani

One pot Meal, Biryani, Chicken Pulao, Chicken Dum Biryani, Hyderabadi Dum BiryaniChicken Biryani  an elaborate, authentic Indian entrée.  There are many more regional variations of this dish but the basics always remain the same which is, by cooking Basmati Rice with succulent chunks of meat marinated with an array of spices.  The list of spices may look daunting, but there is nothing to be scared about. It’s better to be planning ahead and then go through each stage (Chicken, Rice, Layering) methodically, and the Chicken Biryani will come together easily.

I make Chicken Biryani, Prawn Biryani, Lamb/Mutton Biryani almost every weekend. Its one pot dish. 

I can guarantee that, as soon as you bring this star dish to the table, your friends will be in awe of what you’ve made – and want more! 

Here is my take on this world famous Chicken Biryani dish.  Over the years with lots trial and error, I zeroed down on a recipe that works out the best for me. It happened with a lot of updates, modifications and alterations to come down to this basic Chicken Biryani recipe.  This one belongs to me and it has been serving well to my friends and families for quite some time now. It’s not a traditional Dum Biryani  nor did I add potatoes in it to give it a Sindhi/Bengali/Odia touch (though, I don’t mind potatoes in my biryani and many a times I have cooked with potatoes as well), it’s the collection of ideas from here and there and then blended it all together to make it MY CHICKEN BIRYANI.

If you follow this recipe exactly how it’s been set out, you will be anything but disappointed.

 

One pot Meal, Biryani, Chicken Pulao, Chicken Dum Biryani, Hyderabadi Dum BiryaniINGREDIENTS:

For Chicken

  • 1 lbs chicken cut into medium sized pieces. You can use boneless chicken but I prefer chicken with bone.
  • ½ bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp garam masala (see below the ingredients for making garam masala)
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 2 big onions finely chopped
  • 2/3 green chili (adjust as per your taste)
  • 2 tsp red chili powder (adjust as per your taste)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • Salt to taste

For Rice

  • 2 and half cups of basmati rice
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp butter or ghee

For Layering

  • 1/4 cup fried onions
  • ½ bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • ½ bunch mint, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm milk
  • Handful of cashews 
  • 1 tsp Rose water

Garam Masala

  • Dry roast the following ingredients and then grind it to a fine powder. Alternatively, you can buy garam masala from Indian Store.
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 star anise
  • Few pepper corns

METHOD:

  • Soak the Basmati rice for 30 minutes. Then drain it and let it to be dry.
  • Heat oil in a pan and cook onion in it till it becomes golden brown in color. (I usually add the chili powder and salt while frying the onion to get a good color)
  • Add garam masala, ginger & garlic paste, green chilies, red chili powder, turmeric powder, Coriander powder, jeera powder and salt.
  • Fry it well until the raw taste of ginger and garlic is gone and everything is well blended.
  • Then add meat, yogurt, mint and coriander leaves and cook on medium heat until the meat is tender and the water has evaporated.
  • In a separate deep bottomed pan heat two tablespoon of ghee or butter. Add some bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and black cardamom and fry the soaked and well drained rice for 5 minutes or so.
  • Add 2 cups of water to 2 and half cups of rice to cook the rice. Lower the heat and cover the pan as soon as the water starts to boil until the rice is cooked. The texture of the rice will be fluffy and each strand of rice will separate from one another. DO NOT OVERCOOK the rice.

Layering:

  • Grease the bottom of a heavy pot with a little ghee. Layer the chicken with the rice in alternate layers. Sprinkle the food color (optional), fried onions, chopped mint and coriander leaves on top of the last layer. On the very top sprinkle some more ghee, cashew nuts and little bit of rose water (again, rose water is optional).
  • Close the lid tightly making sure no steam passes out of the pot and cook on low heat for 30 to 45 mins. I usually keep the pot in the oven at 250F for 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Gently mix it before serving.

PIN for Later:One pot Meal, Biryani, Chicken Pulao, Chicken Dum Biryani, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani

 

Author: MyYellowApron

I’m scrappy, weird and goofy. I’m a snob when it comes to a LOT of things.., Mainly – coffee, wine and chocolates. I laugh loud and yell louder. I run fast, but walk slow. I love walking long walks with a hot mug of coffee held tight between my hands. I have lonely eyes and a kind heart. I forgive but rarely forget. I remember the silliest of things and forget important matters. I love to run, read, cook and entertain. I draw inspirations from anything and everything aesthetic. There are numerous people who have and still continue to enrich my life in many good ways. I will remain indebted to them – Always. My dad is my biggest fan when it comes to cooking. I could see his eyes light up every time I serve something. My mom’s agility and affectionate nature that reflects on her food is something I’m still trying to master. Travel fascinates me amongst other things. Leave me in Venice and I would get lost in its timeless beauty – The canals. The piazzas. The art. The espresso. Leave me in NYC and I would tirelessly walk the length and breadth of the city (after all, There is always something open 24 hours a day). Through this blog, I am hoping to bring in my passion and love for a few things – Cooking, Travel, Kids, Coffee, Clothes and in the interim learn more myself. Hope I am able to do justice to my PASSION.

43 thoughts

  2. Pingback: Kashmiri Dum Aloo Biriyani – MyYellowApron

  11. Everyone I know seems to have a personal take on how they cook biryani and no matter which way you cook it, biryani is always finger licking good! Thanks for sharing yours, the photos sure look good.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I’m not a much fan of Indian food, but this looks really delicious and I think I would love this. It’s always good to try something new & different they say.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. This dish looks really lovely and I’m sure it smells amazing as well with all the spices, you can’t go wrong with this one! It’s packed with flavor!

    Liked by 1 person

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