Chicken Biryani

A delicious and flavourful Chicken Biryani prepared using my favourite all-time masalas — Shaan Biryani Masala and Shaan Tandoori Masala. I’ve added chilli powder and green chillies for that extra kick of spice.

Perfectly cooked basmati rice, succulent masala-coated chicken, fried onions, fresh herbs and saffron come together to make this a hearty and aromatic biryani.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 kg chicken, preferably thigh and leg pieces

Clean and wash the chicken well. Make a few deep slits in the drumsticks and set aside.

For the Chicken Marinade & Gravy

300 g curd

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp Shaan Tandoori Masala Powder

1 tbsp Shaan Biryani Masala Powder

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Note: No additional salt is required as both the Shaan Tandoori Masala and Biryani Masala contain salt.

Method

Whisk the curd until smooth and creamy.

Add the chilli powder, Tandoori Masala, Biryani Masala and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well.

Add the chicken pieces and mix thoroughly, ensuring every piece is well coated with the marinade.

Set aside to marinate for at least 30 to 40 minutes.

Then shallow fry until nicely done, remove and set aside

Preparing the Rice

½ kg good-quality basmati rice

Wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring sufficient water to a boil in a large cooking vessel. Add:

1 × 3-inch cinnamon stick

A few cloves

A few peppercorns

2 black cardamom pods

3 bay leaves

Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the soaked basmati rice.

Cook until the rice is almost done but still slightly firm. Drain immediately and set aside.

Fried Onions

400 g onions, thinly sliced

Equal quantities of oil and clarified butter (ghee)

A sprinkle of salt

Heat equal quantities of oil and ghee in a pan.

Add the sliced onions in batches and fry on medium heat until golden brown and crisp.

Deep-frying is not required. Frying the onions slowly over medium heat gives them a lovely colour and flavour.

Drain on a paper towel or place in a strainer and set aside.

Preparing the Biryani Gravy

Ingredients

100–150 g curd

40 g finely chopped coriander leaves

20 g mint leaves

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

Ghee, as required

Saffron, soaked in a little hot water or warm milk

5 green chillies, slit, or as per taste

Step 1 — Fry the Chicken

Using the same pan, fry the marinated chicken pieces in batches until well cooked and nicely browned.

Remove and set aside.

Step 2 — Prepare the Gravy

Add 100–150 g curd to the leftover marinade.

Whisk well.

Step 3 — Add More Spice

Add:

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp Shaan Tandoori Masala Powder

1 tsp Shaan Biryani Masala Powder

Add very little water and whisk everything together

Step 4 — Add the Herbs & Onions

Add:

½ cup fried onions

¼ cup mint leaves

½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix well.

Step 5 — Cook the Gravy

Using the same pan in which the chicken was fried, add the prepared mixture.

Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, until the gravy is cooked and well combined.

Assembling the Biryani

Use a thick-bottomed biryani vessel.

First Layer

Add a spoonful of ghee to the bottom of the vessel.

Add a ladleful of the prepared gravy.

Place a few pieces of the fried chicken over the gravy.

Sprinkle some fried onions, sliced tomatoes, slit green chillies, mint leaves and chopped coriander.

Second Layer

Repeat the same process:

Gravy

Fried chicken

Fried onions

Tomatoes

Green chillies

Mint

Coriander

Continue layering until the chicken and gravy are used up.

Final Layer

Take the remaining cooked rice and mix it well with the leftover gravy.

Spread this rice evenly as the final layer over the biryani with a drizzle of ghee.

Top with the remaining:

Fried onions

Mint leaves

Coriander leaves

Sliced tomatoes

Finally, drizzle the saffron-infused water or milk over the rice .

Dum Cooking

Heat a flat pan or tawa.

Place the biryani vessel on the heated pan and cover tightly with a lid.

Place a weight on the lid to seal the vessel.

Cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes, allowing the biryani to cook gently on dum and allowing all the flavours to come together.

Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest for a few minutes before opening the lid.

Gently fluff the layers before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this delicious Chicken Biryani hot with raita and crisp papads.

https://youtu.be/8qpcJhxcBMo