Chicken Biryani
If you are looking for a reliable rice recipe, this Chicken Biryani is one to keep: 17 ingredients, 6 simple steps, ready in roughly under an hour. It sits firmly in the Indian tradition, so expect the flavours you would get from a good home kitchen there. Read through the tips before you start — a couple of small details go a long way with this one.
- Serves 2
- Level Medium
Ingredients
- 2 cup Rice, preferably Basmati
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken
- 6 tbsp Oil
- 300 ml (10 oz) yoghurt
- 3 clove Garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1 ½ Cm ginger, peeled and sliced
- 5 large Onions, chopped
- ½ cup Tomatoes, puréed
- 2 Fresh chiles, chopped
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 5 –6 strands saffron
- 8 clove 8 cloves
- 10 Cm (4 inches) cinnamon stick
- 5 Black pepper corns
- 8 Cardamom pods
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- Salt
Method
- Cook soaked and washed rice.
- Marinate the chicken in lemon juice, yoghurt, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, cloves, chillis, chopped tomatoes, and tomato purée.
- Heat oil in a pan, add onions, and cook until onions turn golden brown. Add these to the chicken.
- Grease a heavy-bottomed deep and wide mouthed pan. Add a layer of rice. Put in the chicken mixture, top with the rest of the rice, and put the saffron on top.
- Bake in the oven for 1–1½ hours at 150°C (300°F); cut into a piece of chicken to see if it is cooked.
- Serve the biryani with yoghurt on the side.
Tips for the best Chicken Biryani
- Taste as you go. Seasoning at the end is fine, but adjusting halfway through gives a more balanced result.
- Rest the finished dish for a few minutes before serving — it lets the flavours settle and the texture firm up.
- Let the chicken come up to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Preheat the oven fully before anything goes in — a cold start changes the texture.
Variations
- Individual portions: divide into ramekins or a muffin tin and reduce the baking time by about a third.
- Swap the chicken for turkey or firm tofu or chickpeas — keep the cooking time similar and check for doneness.
- Fusion twist: keep the method but swap the spices for your own favourites — the Indian base takes well to it.
Serving ideas
Pair with jeera rice, a simple salad of onion and cucumber, and lemon wedges.
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
Is this Chicken Biryani recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 17 ingredients and 6 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
How many people does this Chicken Biryani recipe serve?
As written it serves 2. The quantities scale up or down in a straight line, so double everything for 2×2.
Can I make Chicken Biryani ahead of time?
Yes. It actually improves after a few hours, so make it earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving.
What can I substitute for rice?
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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