- 1 1/4 lbs chicken,
- 1/4 cup neutral oil,
- 2 tbsp ghee,
- Thinly sliced medium yellow onions,
- 6-8 cloves of garlic,
- crushed 1-inch ginger,
- crushed 1 small tomato,
- 1-2 small green chili peppers,
- chopped 5 dried plums, (alu bukhara),
- 1/3 – 1/2 tsp kosher salt,
- 1 tsp garam masala,
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes,
- optional 1 tsp kewra essence,
- 1 tsp lemon juice,
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp biryani masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2-1 tsp red chili powder,
- 1/2 tsp store-bought biryani masala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt, less if using store-bought biryani masala
Whole Spices:
- 3 medium dried bay leaves, (tez patta)
- 5-6 whole cloves, (loung)
- 4-5 whole black cardamoms, (badi elaichi)
- 6 star anise, (badiyaan)
- 6 green cardamom pods, (elaichi)
- 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, (daarchini)
- 3/4 tsp cumin seeds, (zeera)
- 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, (kaali mirch)
Parboiled Rice:
- 1 3/4 cups long grain Maza Rice’s Basmati rice
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
Layering/Topping:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves,
- chopped 1-2 tbsp mint leaves,
- 1/8 tsp yellow/orange food coloring mixed with 1 tbsp milk or water
- 1 (5-7 slices) lemon
Instructions:
- To make biryani, start by marinating the chicken by mixing it with the ingredients listed under “marinade” in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate the marinated chicken for up to overnight. Take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before cooking. Next, rinse the rice and soak it in water.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil, ghee, and onions over high heat. Sauté the onions until they turn golden, which should take around 15-20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of water. Once the water has dried up, add the whole spices, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken and sauté until it changes color (about 2-3 minutes). Next, add the tomatoes, green chili pepper, and dried plums, and stir to coat. Add ½ cup of water (the water should cover about 1/3 of the chicken) and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and let the chicken cook for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice. In a medium pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil. Add salt, oil, and lemon juice/vinegar, and stir. Once the water comes to a boil, drain and add the Maza Basmati rice. Stir, and bring it back up to a boil. Once it comes to a boil again, boil for 5 minutes, or until the rice is just cooked with a bite to it. Drain and set aside.
- Uncover the chicken and raise the heat to medium-high to sauté out any excess water for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, garam masala, and red chili flakes (if desired). Turn off the heat, and add kewra water and lemon juice and stir to combine.
- To layer the biryani, oil the bottom of a Dutch oven or stock/soup pot. Layer half of the drained rice, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of chaat/garam masala on top of the rice, add the chicken, and top with the remaining rice. Drizzle colored milk and oil, sprinkle cilantro leaves, and mint leaves, and arrange lemon slices on top. Place a heat diffuser, flat griddle, or tava underneath the pan to diffuse the heat. Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth (or aluminum foil) and seal tightly. Turn on the heat to medium and allow the biryani to develop steam for 4-5 minutes. Turn down to the lowest heat and allow it to cook in its steam for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the biryani to rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Do not stir or mix. To serve, gently move on to platter with rice paddle or small plate. Serve hot with yogurt or raita.
Enjoy your delicious Chicken Biryani served with cucumber raita!