Even though I cook with spices every day, I never follow any recipe. I have probably changed the spices in my chicken masala biryani several times. My favorite food is biryani. I must make it tasty, or no one will eat it. I think Biryani needs butter or ghee, diet or not. Without this essential element, it’s different. Trust me.
Cooking Biryani
I admit, making chicken masala biryani is a process. Maybe like any biryani. Some people find cooking biryani intimidating. Preparation makes it easier. I marinated chicken with seasonings. This also speeds up cooking readiness.
Practice makes cooking biryani simpler. I also love cooking biryani in the oven. This biryani was cooked on the stove.
Make sure to cook it on low and check it often. If you don’t watch it, cooktop moisture dries faster than oven moisture and can burn.
Most biryanis call for saffron, but I don’t always use it. If I run out of saffron, I color the rice with food coloring.
PREP TIME: 20 COOK TIME: 25 minutes; COURSE: Main Dish Recipes; CUISINE: Indian: SERVINGS: 12 servings
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
- Basmati rice is the VIP of the biryani world. Jasmine rice can pinch-hit if you’re in a bind, but the fragrance of basmati is hard to beat.
- Ghee: This is clarified butter that’s richer and nuttier than the regular version. You can find it in the international aisle of most supermarkets. If you don’t have it, you can substitute regular butter or oil.
- Whole dried spices: Cloves, green and black cardamom pods, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds: These whole spices are the soul of your biryani. Ground versions can sub in, but whole spices really bring the A-game changer.
- Ground spices: Ground black pepper and turmeric bring color and warmth to the dish.
- Salt is an unassuming but essential taste enhancer.
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks, or whole chicken, are juicy and flavorful; they’re the heart of the dish. Other chicken cuts can work too, but drumsticks are traditional. I like to use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs as well. I don’t recommend using chicken breast, as it can dry out during cooking.
- Aromatics: Onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chile peppers, cilantro, and fresh mint lend a refreshing contrast to the dish.
- Vegetable oil: You can use any high-smoke, neutral-flavored oil you like.
- Garnishes: Crispy fried onions and creamy cucumber with sour milk (Raita) add contrasting textures and flavors.
INGREDIENTS
For the rice
- 4 cups basmati rice, wash and soak
Lentils
1 cup brown lentils; wash and soak in boiled water (1 hour before cooking)
Marinate chicken
In a large dish. Place the chicken in a large dish and add all the dry ingredients. Now add the liquidized green chilies, mint, curry leaves, and yogurt and mix well. Incorporating all ingredients into the chicken. And leave in the fridge or set aside.
Ingredients
- 6 Green chilies
- whole green cardamom
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 3 kg chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 2 large onions, sliced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- Curry leaves
- Fresh thyme
- Ground ginger and garlic
- Yogurt
- ¼ cup onion, fried
- 5 cloves
- 4 tablespoons of Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash the rice and lentils and set them aside.
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In a large pot, add oil, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves, and mix. Just allow it to infuse its delicious fragrance into the oil. Add the marinated chicken mixture to the pot, mix well, and cook for 6–8 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the washed lentils and potatoes to the curry. Now cook on low heat. Allow the lentils and potatoes to simmer well.
- Check in on the potatoes. Add the washed rice. Next, add 3 cups of water.
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Add chopped fresh coriander, mint leaves, and thyme and allow to cook on medium heat.
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Lastly, add the remaining fried onion and orange food color, cover, and cook on low heat for 10–12 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Instructions on How to Prepare the Biryani
The preparation of biryani is an art form in and of itself. It is not even necessary to marinade the chicken in order to impart flavor to it because of the cooking procedure. The rice and lentils are soaked first, and then the chicken is well marinated in a mixture of spices. Layering is the next step, which is where the magic happens. This delicious pot of biryani is made on the stovetop with chicken that has been marinated, and uncooked rice and lentils will be added to the pot. When biryani is done, you add some fried onions, mint, and cilantro, and then you let everything simmer until the flavors combine. Is this the end result? ” YES ”
Keep the lid on the pot and continue to cook it over medium heat for approximately five more minutes.
Serve with more fried onions, a delicious green salad, sambals, or cucumber raita on the side.
What is biryani?
In a nutshell, biryani is a celebration that takes place in a pot. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of this lively meal, which is a magnificent combination of basmati rice, delicate chicken, and a variety of spices, all of which are slow-cooked to perfection. The chicken biryani meal is just a chicken and rice dish, but it is layered with goodness on top of deliciousness to produce a dish that gives the impression of wrapping you in a giant, warm, and loving hug.
How SHOULD BIRYANI BE SERVED?
If you want to take your dinner to the next level, try serving it with some cucumber raita, pickles, tamarind chutney, cilantro-mint chutney, green salad, and dhall as a side dish. Biryani is already quite amazing on its own, but if you want to take it to the next level, try mixing it with these delicious accompaniments.
Recognize the harmony of tastes, the balance of heat and sweetness, the textures, and the fragrant scent that contribute to the popularity of chicken biryani all over the world. As you chew each bite, take the time to appreciate this wonderful delicacy. Remember the basic chicken biryani the next time you have a craving for comfort cuisine that has a unique twist.
Happy cooking!
Full tutorial on my channel: Cooking with Shams