Home › Recipes › Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Layers of spiced chicken and fragrant basmati rice, steamed together with saffron, mint and fried onions.
Ingredients
| Volume | Grams |
|---|---|
| Chicken | |
| 2 lb bone-in chicken pieces | 907 g |
| 1 cup plain yogurt | 227 g |
| 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste | — |
| 2 tsp biryani masala, or garam masala | — |
| 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder | — |
| 1/2 tsp ground turmeric | — |
| 1 1/2 tsp table salt | 9 g |
| 2 tomatoes, chopped | — |
| 2 large onions, thinly sliced and fried golden | — |
| 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or ghee | 50 g |
| Rice | |
| 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes | — |
| 1 tbsp table salt, for the cooking water | 18 g |
| 4 green cardamom pods | — |
| 1 bay leaf | — |
| Layering | |
| 1/4 cup milk, warm | 57 g |
| 1 pinch saffron threads | — |
| 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves | — |
| 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped | — |
Gram weights use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; amounts given in lb or oz are converted by weight (1 lb = 453.6 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g); “—” means the ingredient isn’t on the chart, so measure it by volume or count. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it.
Method
- Marinate the chicken with the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices and salt for at least 1 hour. Soak the saffron in the warm milk.
- Heat the oil in the pot, add the chicken, tomatoes and half the fried onions, and cook over medium heat until the chicken is nearly done and the sauce is thick, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile boil the rice in plenty of water with the salt, cardamom and bay leaf until about 70% cooked (still firm in the center), 5–6 minutes. Drain.
- Spread the rice over the chicken. Scatter with mint, cilantro and the remaining fried onions, and drizzle with the saffron milk.
- Cover tightly (seal with foil under the lid) and cook on the lowest heat 20–25 minutes.
- Rest 10 minutes, then gently mix from the bottom up as you serve.
Tips
- Parboiling the rice just right is the key; it finishes in the steam.
- Fry the onions slowly until deep golden for the sweetest flavor.
Baking at elevation? See high-altitude adjustments. Different pan? Try the pan size converter.
Handy while you cook: oven temperature converter · yeast converter · safe meat temperatures · Pantry Survivor Mode