Biryani
If you are looking for a reliable biryani recipe, this Biryani is one to keep: 21 ingredients, 13 simple steps, ready in roughly under an hour. A hot pan and a little patience give you the kind of colour and texture that makes this dish. Scroll down for the ingredients, the step-by-step method, and answers to the questions we get asked most about it.
- Level Medium
Ingredients
- 1 Ea. (1.5 kg) whole chicken washed and jointed
- 2 cup Masoor, whole black lentils
- 2 cup Rice
- 2 piece Cinnamon sticks, tuj
- 4 Elachi, cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp Jeera, cumin
- 4 Green chillies
- 1 cup Plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp Fresh grated or pureed tomato
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Springs mint
- ¼ tbsp Saffron
- ¼ tbsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander
- 1 .2 tsp Red chillies
- 5 small Potatoes
- 3 Hard boiled eggs
- ¼ cup Oil
- 2 Fair-sized onions
- ½ tsp Chopped Ginger
Method
- Allow saffron strands to become crisp over very low heat. Crush finely with the back of a spoon. Steep in 1 tablespoon of hot water.
- Fry onions in oil to a pale golden colour. Drain and cool. Leave aside 1 tablespoon of fried onions, and crush the rest coarsely.
- Wash the chicken pieces, and place in large bowl. Rub the saffron, ginger, and garlic over the meat pieces by tossing it around with a spoon.
- Add yogurt, tomatoes, spices, fried onions, whole green chillies, mint, 2 elachi (cardamom) pods, and 1 piece of tuj (cinnamon) to the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, boil masoor in salted water until done. Drain off in colander.
- Boil rice with 2 elachi (cardamom) pods and 1 piece tuj (cinnamon) until half done. Drain well.
- Fry potatoes to a light yellow colour the oil used for frying onions. Remove from oil and set aside.
- In a large flat bottomed pot (2–3 litre size), add the oil that was used for frying, plus half of the ghee. Sprinkle a handful of rice and masoor over the bottom.
- Arrange the marinated chicken and spices carefully over bottom of pot. Spread the masoor over the chicken, then add the potatoes, then half of the rice.
- Add the hard-boiled eggs, and spread the rest of the rice on top. Many people prefer to tint a few tablespoons of the white rice with a tinge of saffron, then spread it in streaks over the white rice. This looks very attractive and puts the finishing touch to the biryani.
- Decorate with left-over fried onions, then sprinkle the rest of the ghee and ½ cup of cold water over the top.
- Close and seal lid of pot tightly. Place over high heat for 5 minutes and as soon as it starts sizzling, lower heat and let simmer for 1 hour. By this time, all moisture should have evaporated.
- Serve with fried rice papads, onion kachoomers, spiced dahi.
Tips for the best Biryani
- For a milder version, remove the chilli seeds; for more heat, add them at the start so the oil picks it up.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil toughens ea. (1.5 kg) whole chicken washed and jointed and drives off the liquid too fast.
- Rest the finished dish for a few minutes before serving — it lets the flavours settle and the texture firm up.
- This is a 13-step recipe, so set up your workspace in the order the steps use it.
Variations
- Mild version: halve the chilli and finish with a spoon of yoghurt or cream to soften the heat.
- Slow cooker: brown everything first, then cook on low for 6–8 hours instead of simmering.
- Swap the chicken for turkey or firm tofu or chickpeas — keep the cooking time similar and check for doneness.
Serving ideas
Pairs well with a simple salad and a glass of something cold.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 days; reheat in a hot pan or oven rather than the microwave to bring the crispness back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make Biryani ahead of time?
Yes. It actually improves after a few hours, so make it earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving.
Is this Biryani recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 21 ingredients and 13 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
What can I substitute for ea. (1.5 kg) whole chicken washed and jointed?
Any ingredient with a similar texture and cooking time works; see the variations below for ideas. Keep quantities the same and adjust seasoning at the end.
Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook, CC BY-SA 4.0 — source
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