Chicken Biryani
Chicken biryani is an iconic dish of Indian cuisine, combining fragrant basmati rice, spice-marinated chicken and crispy fried onions, slow-cooked in layers using the traditional dum method to develop all the flavours.
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Ingredients
- 800 g chicken (boneless thighs)
- 400 g long-grain basmati rice
- 200 g plain yoghurt
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 cm ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, slit
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2 black cardamom pods
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6 green cardamom pods
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6 cloves
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2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks
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3 bay leaves
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A pinch of saffron
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2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chilli powder
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1 tsp turmeric
- Neutral oil, for frying the onions
- 50 g ghee
- Fresh mint and coriander, chopped
- 50 ml warm milk (to infuse the saffron)
- Salt
Instructions
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1
Prepare the marinade — mix the chicken with the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, green chillies, half of the garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight).
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2
Meanwhile, soak the basmati rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
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3
Heat the oil and fry the sliced onions until golden and crisp — these fried onions are known as birista. Set aside on paper towel.
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4
Infuse the saffron in the warm milk for 10 minutes.
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5
In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Cook the rice until three-quarters done (7-8 minutes), then drain.
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6
In a heavy-bottomed pot, cook the marinated chicken with the tomatoes until half-cooked, about 10 minutes.
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7
Spread the chicken over the base of the pot, then cover with half the rice. Scatter over half the fried onions, mint and coriander. Repeat with the remaining rice and onions.
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8
Drizzle the top with the saffron milk, melted ghee and the remaining garam masala.
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9
Cover tightly (foil, then a lid) and cook over very low heat for 25 to 30 minutes using the dum method, without lifting the lid.
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10
Rest for 5 minutes off the heat before opening. Gently fold the layers together before serving.
Tips
For an authentic result, do not rush the onion-frying step: they should be deeply golden and crisp to bring the caramelised sweetness that defines proper birista. Serve with cucumber raita and a light curry.
Spices used
Find the spices from this recipe in our shop.
Black Cardamom
Njallani Green Cardamom
Whole Cloves
Ceylon Cinnamon Alba
Indian Bay Leaves (Tej Patta)
Kashmiri Mongra Saffron
Garam Masala
Kerala Turmeric Powder
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