Indian · Main · Hard
Chicken Biryani
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Chicken Biryani, in 5 ideas
- 70 percent cooked rice is the key. It finishes in the steam. Fully cooked rice turns to mush; undercooked rice stays crunchy. Five minutes in boiling water, no more.
- Seal the pot properly. If steam escapes, the top rice dries out. A clean kitchen towel between the pot and lid catches condensation and seals the gap.
- Layer, do not stir. The distinct strata of saffron-gold and white rice are the visual signature. Stirring destroys it.
- Serve with raita. Cool yogurt with cucumber and mint is the essential counterpoint to the warm spices.
- Leftovers are incredible. The flavors deepen overnight. Sprinkle with water and reheat covered on low.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 1/4 cup warm milk
- 4 tbsp ghee, divided
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup crispy fried onions (store-bought is fine)
How to make it
Directions
- Marinate the chicken in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is better.
- Soak the basmati in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain. Steep the saffron in the warm milk and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil with the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Add the rice and cook exactly 5 minutes until about 70 percent done. Drain immediately.
- In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and brown the sliced onions until deeply golden, about 10 minutes. Remove half for garnish.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pot with the remaining onions. Cook 8 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is mostly cooked and the yogurt has thickened.
- Layer the par-cooked rice over the chicken. Drizzle with the saffron milk and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted ghee. Scatter the mint, cilantro, and reserved crispy onions on top.
- Cover the pot with a tight lid (seal the edge with dough or a kitchen towel under the lid if needed). Cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Rest 10 minutes off the heat, then gently fluff and serve, making sure each portion gets both rice and chicken.
Do not lift the lid during the steam. The trapped steam is what finishes the rice and marries the flavors. Twenty-five minutes, no peeking.