Chicken Biryani

Growing up, one of my mom’s closest friends would make us chicken biryani every few weeks. Her family loved it and so did we, so she would make plenty and bring it over for us. We all relished it and could not get enough of it. Over the years I have tried to replicate the taste and look of what she used to serve and have finally managed to get it right. Here is aunty Baig’s biryani for you to enjoy!

Ingredients for Chicken Biryani

Lots of Indian spices, some yogurt, rice, and bone in chicken produce this mouth watering entree.

The Ingredients List for Chicken Biryani

The Chicken Marinade

• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 4 bone in chicken thighs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon grated garlic
• salt to taste

The Spicy Rice

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 large red onions
• 5 pods of green cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of mace
• salt to taste
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of saffron
• 2 cups of par cooked basmati rice

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Marinating the Chicken

In order to make a great tasting Chicken Biryani, we need to have great tasting tender chicken. The best way to get that result is to marinate the chicken before we cook it.

• In a large mixing bowl, add 4 bone in chicken drumsticks and 4 bone in chicken thighs.
• Add 1 cup of plain yogurt. I use greek yogurt because it’s thicker and better for this recipe, but any kind of plain yogurt will do.
• Then comes 1 teaspoon each of grated ginger and garlic.
• Add salt to taste as well at this stage. I add liberal amounts of salt because the chicken gets a better flavour when it’s salted well at the marinating stage.
• Mix everything well and cover the bowl. Once mixed, allow the chicken to marinate for about 30 mins to 2 hrs depending on how much time you have.

The Fried Onions

While the chicken is marinating, we can get the onions ready. I like to top my chicken biryani with fried onions, so I cook them before I cook the chicken.

• To begin with, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan.
• Finely slice 2 large red onions and place them into the pan.
• Then cook the onions for about 8-10 mins on medium heat and continue to stir them to allow for even cooking.
• Once the onions have been browned, remove 1/2 the onions into a small bowl and set them aside for later.

The Chicken for the Chicken Biryani

Now that the chicken has marinated, we can get started with the biryani.

• In the same pan that you the cooked onions in, add :
  • 5 pods of green cardamom
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 whole cloves
• Cook them for about 2 minutes and then add the marinated chicken to the pan.
• Cook it on one side for about 2-3 minutes and then flip it and cook it on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

The Spices and the Rice

Once the chicken has cooked for a few minutes, we can spice it.

• To the pan, add
  • 1 tablespoon of garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon of mace
  • and salt to taste
• Mix the spices into the chicken and toss the chicken in the spices.
• Add 1 cup of water to the pan and mix that in as well.
• Cook the chicken for about 7-8 minutes or until most of the water has dried up.
• Mix 1/2 teaspoon of saffron with a teaspoon of water and add it to the pan. Mix it in well.
• Finally, add 2 cups of par cooked basmati rice on top of the chicken and evenly spread it around the pan. DO NOT MIX it in.

Baking the Chicken Biryani

Now that the chicken and rice are ready, let’s bake the biryani and enjoy our delicious meal.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and then a tight fitting lid.
• Place the oven into the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Once ready, remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes.
• Finally, remove the lid and foil, gently mix the rice and chicken, and sprinkle the browned onion we had set aside on top of it. Now we are ready to enjoy our chicken biryani.

If you don’t have an oven, you can continue to cook the chicken and rice on the stove once you cover it. Turn the temperature to low and allow it to cook for 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving biryani with:

• A side of my mango and coriander chutney.
• Or with a side of creamy yogurt.
• My kid’s favorite side for biryani is what we call “cachumbar”. This is a mixture of finely chopped red onion, tomato, and cucumber which is tossed and dresssed with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

How do I reheat my Chicken Biryani?

If you have any chicken biryani left over, place it in an air tight container in the fridge. To reheat it, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Sprinkle a little bit of water (perhaps a tablespoon or so depending on the amount you need to reheat) and heat it in the microwave.

Tried and Liked the Recipe?

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