Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

5 from 178 votes

Indulge in the rich and authentic flavors of this Hyderabadi chicken biryani, which features perfectly cooked basmati rice and tender, juicy chicken that you just can't get enough of. This crowd-pleaser is perfect for parties and gatherings and is sure to wow your guests with its delicious taste. My easy-to-follow recipe includes all the tips, tricks, and troubleshooting you need to make the most delicious and authentic chicken biryani.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu

Servings:

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 lb chicken
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
2 large onions
2 inch ginger grated (or ginger paste)
5 cloves garlic grated (or garlic paste)
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds shah jeera
3 pieces cinnamon
5 green cardamom
5 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½-¾ teaspoon salt adjust as per taste

For the rice:

3 cups Basmati rice
5 green cardamom
5 cloves
1 black cardamom
3 small pieces cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 mace
3 bay leaves

For assembly

2 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon saffron
½ cup mint leaves
½ cup cilantro
1 tablespoon ghee

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

Clean and cut the chicken into even pieces.
To this, add yogurt, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, and garam masala. Mix well and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Make the rice:

Wash the rice thoroughly in running water. Soak it for 30 minutes.
While the rice is soaking, take water in a large pot and bring it to a boil.
Add salt and whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black cardamom, star anise, and mace).
Drain all the water from the rice and add it to boiling water.
Let it cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes until it is half done. Take care not to cook the rice completely.
Drain the water and cool the rice uncovered.

Make the chicken curry:

Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy bottom pot. Add a handful of sliced onions.
Fry it until the onion is crispy and golden. Set them aside.
In the same pot, add 2 more tablespoons of ghee and let it heat.
Add shah jeera, and whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and pepper). Saute for a few seconds.
Add the remaining onion and fry until golden. Add ginger and garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add the marinated chicken and mix well.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the chicken is nearly done.

Assemble the biryani:

Soak saffron strands in milk for 10 minutes.
Once the chicken is almost done, turn off the heat. Spread it evenly in the bottom of the pot.
Add half of the cooked rice to completely cover the chicken.
Add mint leaves, cilantro, and fried onions.
Spread the remaining rice on top.
Add saffron milk and one tablespoon of ghee. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid making sure the sides are fully sealed.
Heat a tawa or griddle. Once it is hot, place the biryani pot on top of the tawa and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Let the biryani steam on very low heat for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Serve chicken biryani with raita or a side dish of your choice.

Notes

Use Basmati rice. It has a great aroma and the grain of rice does not stick to each other.

It is important to check the salt in boiling water as this is the only way you are adding salt to the rice. Before adding the soaked rice, check the saltiness of the water. It should be quite salty.

Always place the biryani pot on a tawa/griddle and then steam it on low heat. Placing the pot on a tawa will prevent the bottom layer of biryani from burning.

See the tips section above for more useful tips to make this dish.

Nutrition