Indian Chicken Biryani Rice Recipes

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
• When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
• Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
• In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

AUTHENTIC SOUTH INDIAN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large oven-proof pot over medium heat. Add cardamom, clove, and cinnamon stick. Stir in chopped onions, and fry until golden brown. Stir in garlic and ginger. Stir in chicken pieces, and fry about 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder, and cook several minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and cook about 5 minutes. Mix yogurt with 3 tablespoons water and lemon juice; stir into sauce.
• Cover pot, and bake in a preheated oven until the sauce is somewhat thickened and concentrated, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook rice in enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until it is half cooked, about 7 minutes. Drain rice, and stir into chicken and sauce. Stir in butter, season to taste with salt, cover pot, and bake 1 hour. Stir in mint and cilantro immediately before serving.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak the rice in warm water, then wash in cold until the water runs clear.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions with the bay leaf and other whole spices for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the turmeric, then add chicken and curry paste; cook till aromatic.
• Stir the rice into the pan with the raisins, then pour over the stock. Place a tight fitting lid on the pan and bring to a hard boil, then lower the heat to a minimum; cook the rice for another 5 minutes. Turn of the heat & leave for 10 minutes. Stir well, mixing through half the coriander.
• To serve scatter over the rest of the coriander and the almonds.

CHICKEN BIRYANI RECIPE

Steps:

• To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp salt, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice & red chili powder.
• Mix up well and taste the marinade. Add more salt and spice if needed.
• Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade &mix well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to overnight.
• Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins.
• Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
• Add whole spices - bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, shahi jeera & mace. Skip them if you do not have.
• When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions & fry them evenly stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
• Add chicken & saute until pale for 5 mins on a medium heat.
• Cover & cook on a low flame until the chicken is soft cooked or tender. Saute to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
• Taste test and add more salt if needed. I add about ¼ teaspoon salt. Add ¼ cup yogurt (curd), 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, 1 slit green chili, ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder & 1 teaspoon garam masala.
• Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom. (check video)
• Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
• To a separate bowl, pour 3 cups water. If cooking in a pot use 3 ½ cups water.
• Add ½ to ¾ tsp salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty.
• Pour 2 cups of this water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice. (check video)
• Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons mint leaves. Optionally add 2 tablespoons fried onions & saffron soaked milk if using.
• Pot method - If cooking in a pot, cover and cook on a low flame until the chicken biryani is done to your liking. If the rice is still under cooked or hard, pour ¼ to ½ cup boiling water and cook further. When done it has to be fully cooked, yet remain grainy.
• Cooker method - Set the flame to medium high. Cover & place the whistle. Cook for 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further.
• Rest until the pressure settles. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork.
• Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from the bottom layer.
• Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies, papad and shorba (biryani gravy).

INDIAN CHICKEN BIRYANI RICE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into desired pieces. Add lemon and salt to the chicken.
• In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of yogurt, turmeric powder, ground garam masala powder, ground biryani masala powder, chili powder, and paprika. Mix all of the ingredients together.
• Add the yogurt biryani marinade to the chicken and mix well. Let the chicken rest for a minimum of 15 minutes.
• Soak the basmati rice in water for 10 minutes.
• On medium heat. Add oil and ghee to the pan. Add the whole cardamom, cinnamon stick, curry leaf, bay leaf, star of anise, and sliced red onion.
• Mash the garlic and ginger paste with a mortar and pestle.
• Once the onion starts to get golden brown, add the crushed garlic and ginger.
• Add chili peppers that are sliced down the center.
• Add the chicken and mix well.
• Add the chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook on medium for 10 minutes covered.
• Add basmati rice. Mix well.
• Add 6 cups water and turn heat to high uncovered. Once the rice starts to boil, then turn to medium.
• Once the water goes below the rice, mix slowly 2 turns, then cover the rice and turn to low heat. Rice is cooked once tender (after about 15 minutes).
• Slice the white onion.
• In a separate pot, fry the white onion in vegetable oil to a golden brown color. Alternatively, pan fry the onion in some olive oil.
• Wash and remove the mint and cilantro leaves. Chop the mint and cilantro.
• Toast the cashews in a dry pan on medium heat.
• On top of the biryani, add the fried onion, toasted cashews, golden raisins, chopped cilantro, and chopped mint.

HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Heat oil at medium high in a wide frying pan. If you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of oil, you should feel the heat. Or use a candy/fry thermometer.
• Fry onions in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Fry until crisp light golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken with all marinade ingredients and 1/3 of fried onions. Tip: Add yogurt, starting with 1/2 cup and increase as needed to 3/4 cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.
• Grind biryani spices in a spice grinder. Add to chicken marinade and combine. Marinate for about 3 to 5 hours.
• Rinse rice 4 to 5 times in lots of water until it is clear. Drain well. Soak 1/3 cup basmati rice in water for one hour. Save the rest.
• Below is the rice cooker method. For alternative traditional cooking method check our lamb biryani recipe.
• Bring 2¼ cups of water to a rolling boil in a rice cooker. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons olive oil and whole spices (see note). Then add remaining 1⅔ cups basmati rice and stir. Let it cook just until all the water is absorbed (see notes).
• It is important to NOT let the rice steam until it is fully done. Just when all the water is well absorbed, transfer cooked rice immediately to another wide open pan. In my rice cooker the whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken with marinade to a 5-quart, wide, thick-bottomed and oven-proof cooking pot (9 to 10 inch diameter). Make sure there is not too much marinade around chicken pieces and that it is not runny.
• Scatter cilantro, mint, half the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken and marinade. Then scatter most of the fried onions.
• Drain the soaked basmati rice very well and spread it over the fried onion layer. (This raw soaked rice will get cooked with the juices from chicken).
• Next, layer all the cooked rice. Top with remaining lemon juice, saffron water, fried onions and ghee.Tip: If you prefer, you may pick out the whole spices from cooked rice before steaming.
• Oven Method: Place one sheet of parchment paper, followed by one to two sheets of aluminum foil over the cooking pot. Place the lid tight over it. Bake biryani in a preheated oven at 350ºF for one hour, until steam builds up well.
• Stove-Top Method (Alternative): Heat the biryani at medium high for about 10 to 15 minutes and then reduce to low and cook for one hour until steam builds up well.
• Remove from oven or stove. Let it cool five minutes and gently mix rice and chicken. Using a spatula, mound the biryani on a serving plate, making sure to present the rice in various colors - white, yellow, orange and brown. Place some chicken pieces on the top. Scatter fried onions, herbs and extra saffron rice on top.
• Serve it with mirchi ka salan or Hyderabadi tomato egg curry and raita.

EASY CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Combine the chicken in a bowl with the yogurt, curry powder, and cinnamon and let marinate for at least 1 hour but preferably at least 4 hours.
• To parboil the rice: Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water draining from it is clear and no longer milky. Soak the rice in a bowl of water for 15-30 minutes. Fill a pot with salted water. Drain the rice and add it the pot. Bring it to a boil and cook for 4-6 minutes until the tips of the rice are clear. Pour the rice into a strainer and rinse with lukewarm water. Let the rice thoroughly drain while you continue with the next steps.
• Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions until golden, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken and all of the marinade along with the salt. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the rice, cilantro and raisins. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the rice is soft and the mixture is heated through. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately.