Chicken Biryani At Home

Embark on a Chicken Biryani adventure with my easy-to-follow guide! Learn to pick the right rice, achieve crispy onions, and blend spices for the perfect masala. Plus, discover my special cold-smoking trick for a unique smoky finish. Let's make Biryani magic together!

Ingredients:

For Marinating Chicken:

• 500g chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

For Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 green cardamom pods
• 2-3 cloves
• Salt to taste

For Biryani:

• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk (optional)

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes. Then, cook the rice with water, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, and salt until it's 70% cooked. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil and ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and sauté the sliced onions until they turn golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions for garnish.
4. Add the marinated chicken and cook until it's partially done. Add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and cook until the tomatoes soften.
5. Layer the partially cooked rice on top of the chicken. Sprinkle garam masala, saffron milk, half of the chopped mint, and cilantro.
6. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken and rice are fully cooked and the flavors meld together.
7. Garnish with the remaining fried onions, mint, and cilantro.
8. Serve hot with raita or salan (spicy gravy) on the side.