Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Biryani is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and meat, which is usually chicken, goat, lamb, prawns, or fish. It sometimes includes eggs or vegetables, such as potatoes in certain regional varieties.
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
Ingredients
FRIED ONIONS:
- ¾ lb yellow onion finely sliced
- 1½ cups peanut oil
CHICKEN MARINATION:
- 1½ lb chicken with bone cut and clean
- ⅔ cup plain yoghurt
- 1½ tbsp ginger garlic paste or grated ginger and garlic
- 1 tsp Salt adjust per taste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 jalapeño pepper serrano or cayenne adjust per taste
SPICES:
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 5 green cardamom
- 5 cloves
- 1 Bay Leaves
- 1 tsp shah Jeera
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
BIRYANI:
- 2 cups basmati rice long grain
- 1 tsp Salt adjust per taste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh chopped
- 2 tbsp mint fresh chopped
- 1 tsp saffron ground and dissolved in 2 tablespoon hot water
- 2 tbsp ghee optional
WHOLE SPICES FOR RICE:
- 1 black cardamom
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
Instructions
How to Fry the Onions:
- Heat the oil no medium high in a wide frying pan.
- If you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of the oil, you should feel the heat. Or use a candy/fry thermometer.
- Fry the onions in batches. Do not crowd the pan.
- Fry until crisp and light golden brown. Set aside.
How to Marinate the Chicken:
- Combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and ⅓ of the fried onions.
- TIP: Add yogurt, starting with ½ cup and increase as needed to ¾ cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.
- Grind the biryani spices in a spice grinder.
- Add to the chicken marinade and combine. Marinate for 1-2 hrs.
How to Cook the Rice in a Rice Cooker:
- Rinse the rice 4 to 5 times in lots of water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
- Soak ⅓ cup basmati rice in water. Save the rest.
- Bring 2 ¼ cups of water to a rolling boil in a rice cooker.
- Add ¾ tsp salt, 1 ½ tbsps olive oil, and the whole spices (see note).
- Add the remaining 1 ⅔ cups basmati rice and stir.
- Let it cook just until all the water is absorbed (see notes).
- It is important to NOT let the rice steam until it is fully done.
- Just when all the water is well absorbed, transfer the cooked rice immediately to another wide open pan.
How to Assemble the Rice and Layer the Chicken:
- Transfer the chicken and marinade to a 4-5 quart thick bottomed oven proof cooking pot (9-10 inch diameter).
- Make sure there is not too much marinade and that it is not runny.
- Sprinkle the cilantro, mint, half the lemon juice, and ½ tbsp olive oil over the chicken/marinade.
- Then scatter over most of the fried onions.
- Drain the soaked basmati rice very well and spread it over the fried onion layer. The soaked rice will cook in the chicken juices.
- Next, layer all the cooked rice. Top with the remaining lemon juice, saffron water, fried onions, and ghee.
- TIP: If you prefer, you may pick out the whole spices from the cooked rice before steaming.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
