Royal meals in India are never complete without a steaming pot of fragrant and flavorful biryani. Although cooking biryani is a type of art, it is very simple to master the original flavour and create a delectable chicken biryani. Finding the ideal dish might be difficult, so we’ve included a basic recipe to help you out. It doesn’t take much work and provides the deep flavour you’re searching for.
Ingredients
For Marinade
- 450 gms Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Red chilli powder
- 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 cup Yoghurt
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 6 whole cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 5 cardamom pods
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 tsp biryani masala
- 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
For Biryani
- ¼ cup ghee
- 4 Bay leaves
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
- 2 onions thinly sliced
- 1 pinch saffron
- ½ cup Warm Milk
- 3½ cups Water
- 2⅓ cups long-grain Basmati rice
Method
- To make a fine powder, grind black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and cumin seeds. Mint and coriander leaves, finely chopped
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry spice mix, chopped mint and coriander leaves, and other marinade ingredients. Coat the chicken well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
- Thoroughly wash the rice. Fill a pot halfway with water and rice. When it reaches a boil, add 2 bay leaves and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow simmering, until the rice is partly cooked and firm. This might take up to 5 minutes. When finished, drain the rice. Stir saffron into a cup of milk and set aside.
- Heat the ghee in a big saucepan with a tight-fitting cover or a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain it on a paper towel. Reduce the heat to low and toss in the bay leaves and chilies for approximately 1-2 minutes. Set aside a tbsp of the ghee from the saucepan.
- Cook for 2 minutes a side, or until the chicken is no longer pink, in the saucepan with the marinade. Spread the drained rice on top, then sprinkle with fried onions and drizzle with ghee and saffron milk. Cook for 8-10 minutes, covered, over high heat. Then decrease the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and set it aside for about 15 minutes, covered. On top, garnish with mint and coriander leaves. Serve immediately with a raita or a green salad.
