Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a Mughlai dish and very popular in India. And when it comes to the Chicken Biryani, it is everyone’s favourite. Each city has their own recipe of making biryani, and this recipe follows the Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani. People thinks that making a good Chicken Biryani at home is a very time consuming and difficult process. But by following this step by step recipe, you can easily make this delicious wholesome meal at home. Do not forget to use all the mentioned ingredients to make the best and perfect chicken biryani. You can also search for more recipes like Pulao, Fried Brown Rice, Sweet Saffron Rice, Onion Rice and many more.

Image : Chicken Biryani

chicken biryani 1Important :

  • Preparation Time : 30 minutes
  • Inactive : overnight
  • Cooking Time : 1 hr 15 minutes
  • Serve For : 4

Ingredients :

Main Ingredients

  • Fine Basmati Rice or Biryani Rice (2 cups)
  • Chicken (1 kg) /cut into big pieces
  • Potato (4 medium size)
  • Egg (4) /hard-boiled

To marinate the chicken

  • Ginger Paste (1 tsp)
  • Garlic Paste (1 tsp)
  • Cumin Powder (1 tsp)
  • Coriander Powder (1 tsp)
  • Garam Masala Powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Shahi Biriyani Masala (2 tsp)
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (1 tbsp)
  • Coriander Leaves (2 tbsp) /finely chopped
  • Ghee or Clarified Butter (2 tsp)
  • Turmeric Powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Lemon Juice (of 1 lemon)
  • Salt (1 tsp)
  • Curd or Yogurt (1/2 cup)

To boil the Rice

  • Bay Leaves (2)
  • Salt (2 tsp)
  • Shahi Jeera or Black Cumin Seeds (1/2 tsp)
  • Cardamom (4)
  • Cinnamon Stick (4 inches)
  • Cloves (4)
  • Oil (1 tsp)

To prepare the Chicken

  • Oil (2 tbsp)
  • Ghee or Clarified Butter (2 tsp)
  • Bay Leaf (1)
  • Whole Garam Masala (Cardamom 2, Cinnamon 2 inches, Cloves 3)
  • Onion Paste (3 tbsp or 1 big size onion)
  • Ginger Garlic Paste (1 tbsp)
  • Turmeric Powder (1 tsp)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Fried Brown Onion (2 tbsp)
  • Sugar (1 tsp)

To layer Biryani

  • Rice Starch (2 tbsp) /excess water from boiled rice
  • Fried Brown Onion (4 tbsp)
  • Milk (4 tbsp)
  • Saffron or Kesar (2 big pinch)
  • Saffron Food Colour (few drops) /optional
  • Melted Ghee or Clarified Butter (3 tbsp)
  • Shahi Biryani Masala (1 tsp)
  • Kewra Water (1 tsp)
  • Mitha Attar (3-4 drops)
  • Atta Dough (for tightening the Lid)

Direction :

  1. At first clean and wash the chicken pieces and place them in a big bowl.
  2. Marinate the chicken pieces with Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Shahi Biriyani Masala, Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Leaves, Ghee, Turmeric Powder, Lemon Juice, Salt and Yogurt.
  3. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.
  4. Boil eggs and keep them aside.
  5. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk and add food colour to it. Keep it aside.
  6. Soak rice for 30 minutes.
  7. To boil the rice, take water in a big saucepan. Put cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, shahi jeera, salt and oil. Let the water to boil. Then add soaked rice and cook for 4-5 minutes until the rice is 3/4 th done. Drain water in another bowl because later we need 2 tbsp of this water for layering. Take out all the whole spices and bay leaves from rice and keep the rice aside.
  8. Peel and cut the potatoes into halves. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and fry the potatoes with a pinch of salt until light brown. Drain oil and keep them aside.
  9. To prepare the chicken, in the same oil add some ghee. Add whole garam masala and bay leaf. Saute them until they release beautiful aroma.
  10. Then add onion paste and saute for 3-4 minutes on high flame.
  11. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt to it. Cook for 5 minutes more.
  12. Now add the overnight marinated chicken pieces with all the liquid marinations into the pan. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes on high flame.
  13. Then cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes more.
  14. After that open the lid and add fried brown onion and sugar. Mix well and again cover the pan. Cook for 10 more minutes or until the chicken become tender.
  15. Switch off the flame and keep the chicken curry aside.
  16. Now for layering the biryani, take a heavy bottomed pan or handi or saucepan with a heavy lid. Grease the pan with some ghee.
  17. First layer it with half portion of chicken curry with gravy. Add 2 tbsp of rice starch, and then half portion of the boiled rice. Over the rice, place all the fried potatoes, sprinkle fried onion and 1/2 tsp of biryani masala. Drizzle 2 tbsp of saffron soaked milk and 1 tbsp of melted ghee.
  18. For the second layer, put the rest of the chicken curry over the rice and spread it evenly. Then spread the rest of the rice over it. Place the boiled eggs and sprinkle biryani masala, fried onion, ghee and the rest of saffron soaked milk. Then drizzle 1 tsp of kewra water and 3-4 drops of mitha attar over it. Your Layering is done.
  19. Now seal the edges if the pan with atta dough and cover the pan with a heavy lid. It seals the pot and generates lots of heat and steam inside, which helps to keep the biryani moist. Place the pan over very low heat and let it cook for 20-30 minutes.
  20. When you can see that the steam is coming out of the gaps or edges of the dough, it means that your biryani is ready.
  21. Switch off the gas and let it rest for some more minutes.
  22. After opening the lid, fluff the rice gently from the bottom and serve with Boondi Raita or Onion Cucumber Raita.

Images : 

Marinate the chicken with the ingredients mentioned above

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Add biryani masala, coriander leaves and curd

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Mix and coat the chicken pieces well

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Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for overnight

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After marination this is how it looks like

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Fry potatoes until golden brown and keep them aside

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In the same oil, add ghee

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Add whole garam masala and bay leaf

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Add onion paste

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Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt

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Cook for 5 minutes on high flame

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Add marinated chicken pieces

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Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes

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Open the lid, add fried onion and sugar, cook for another 10-15 minutes

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Open the lid, cook until chicken become tender

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Ready, keep it aside

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To boil the rice add all the ingredients mentioned above in water

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Add rice

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Cook for 5 minutes

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Drain water and keep it aside

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Grease a heavy bottomed pan with ghee

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Layer with chicken curry and rice starch

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Spread half portion of rice evenly

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Put potatoes, fried onion, saffron soaked milk, ghee and biryani masala

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Put rest of the chicken and gravy, spread evenly

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Lastly put rest of the rice, egg, fried onion, rest of the milk and ghee

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Add kewra water

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Add mitha attar

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Seal the sides of the pan with atta dough

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Cover with a heavy lid and place over very low flame for 30 minutes

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When done, carefully open the lid

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Fluff the rice gently and your biryani is ready to serve

chicken biryani 35Tips :

  • If you do not like to use atta dough for sealing the pot, you can also use aluminium foil.
  • Do not add to much of kewra water or mitha attar, it will ruine the flavour of your biryani.
  • Serve hot with raita.

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