Here’s One Indian Dish You Have To Try

Indian food is driven by dozens of blended flavors and aromas. It’s powerful, it speaks of spirituality, family and culture and engages almost all your five senses. If you’ve had Indian food before, and we’re not talking about some Americanised version of a samosa you might’ve tasted at a restaurant, your taste buds will appreciate to the burst of flavor we’re boasting about.

Chicken Biryani Recipe (Step-By-Step Guide)

Today, we’re bringing you a dish that’s not only native to India but its neighboring country Pakistan as well! They’re divided by borders and united by Biryani. 

Biryani can be made with different kinds of meats such as chicken or mutton. The recipes are almost the same, so you’re free to take on whatever meat you like best. Since most people prefer chicken biryani, here’s the complete recipe so you can make one for your family, wherever in the world you may be:

Ingredients

Biryani is prepared in quarters, so we’ve separated the ingredients you’ll be needing during each phase. Also, the weight of chicken should always be double the weight of rice. Here’s a good starting point:

• 2 lbs skinless chicken
• 1 lb rice

For chicken marinade

• 1 cup yogurt (around 0.4 lbs)
• 4 tbsp biryani masala (we’ve shared the recipe below but you can also use store-bought masala)
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder

Biryani masala (Blend the ingredients in a mixer grinder)

• 1 medium dried bay leaf (tez patta)
• 1 small whole mace (javetri)
• 2 dry red chili peppers
• 5 whole cloves (loung)
• 2-inch cinnamon stick (daarchini)
• 1 black cardamom
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1/2 tsp fennel (sonf)
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper (whole)

If you’re unable to get your hands on a store-bought biryani masala, you need to combine the aforementioned ingredients in a mixer grinder. Mix them well, and it’ll give you a powdery mixture that you can use for this recipe.

Whole spices

• 3 dried bay leaves 
• 6 whole cloves
• 5-6 green cardamoms
• 4-5 whole black cardamoms
• 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 3-inch cinnamon sticks

Unlike the biryani masala ingredients that we turned into a mixture using a grinder, we’ll be tossing these whole spices into the biryani untouched.

For boiling rice

• 1 lb long-grain basmati rice
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice

Biryani

• ½ cup oil (and more if required)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 thinly sliced onions
• 6-8 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ginger powder or crushed equivalent
• 5 dried plums
• 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional for spice)
• 1 finely chopped tomato
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For layering/topping

• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp yellow/orange food color
• 1 thinly sliced lemon

Preparation

1. Start by marinating the chicken and keeping it in the fridge overnight or for at least a few hours.
2. Wash the rice and soak them in water.
3. Get a heavy-bottomed pan and throw in the ingredients listed in the “biryani” section. Start with pouring the oil, ghee and onions. Let them go golden. Add in some water and let it dry. Then, add the ginger and garlic and saute it for another 3-4 minutes. 
4. Add the marinated chicken and saute it until it changes color. Add the tomatoes, dried plums, red chili flakes and salt. Add a cup of water (make sure the water covers at least half of the chicken). Let it gently boil for a few minutes.
5. Turn the heat down and allow the chicken to cook. Stir from time to time. The process should take about 30 minutes for all the ingredients to blend in carefully.
6. Prepare the rice with the mentioned ingredients. It should take no more than 5 minutes.
7. Uncover the chicken. Remove any excess water from the chicken by boiling it. Take another pan for dum (steaming) and add about 30% of the prepared chicken. Followed by about 30% of the prepared rice. Repeat this process until there are equal layers of each. 
8. Add the layering ingredients as mentioned above and let it steam for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with raita (mint/pepper yogurt).