This super simple and delicious Chicken Biryani recipe is a winner in my house. The biryani loving husband gives it a big thumbs up every time I make it!
A few weeks ago there was this whole debate about Khichdi being named the national dish of India. It created quite a buzz with people on both sides of the camp. But I am fairly sure if it was biryani it would have been a relatively clean sweep. Though I am not a big biryani lover, I have two biryani fans in the house. The man will eat any and all kinds of biryani (as long as it is not veg) and the child loves Chicken Biryani.
This biryani is actually a combination of many biryani recipes from here and there. The biryani pundits and purists might even get angry with this one because I really cannot slot it any one kind of biryani. But I also feel one of the things that makes biryani so loved is the fact that it is versatile and has many variations. Each person likes a specific kind and there are so many variations that of it. I think there is a book waiting to be written here “Biryanis and Pulaos of India”.
So sharing with you, my very simple and easy Chicken Biryani Recipe. The weekend is here and it is the right time to make it, open a beer and chill I say.
And if you make it, do share a picture with me. Tag #sinamon on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I would love to hear from you so do share the good things, the brickbats and if you want any clarifications about the recipe.
Easy Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken cut into uniform size pieces
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 4 large Potatoes
- 1 cup curd
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 onions large, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 8 pods Garlic
- 5 green chillies
- 3 black cardamom
- 1 bay leaves
- 2 Green cardamom
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
- 8-10 peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Kewra water optional
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsp ghee
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken pieces with curd, red chilli power, turmeric and salt.
- Partially cook the rice along with black cardamom and bay leaves. The rice needs to be around 50% done
- Drain away the water and set aside the rice for later use
- Dry roast the rest of whole spices namely, peppercorns, cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon for 30 seconds or till fragrant. Let it cool and then grind it into a fine powder.
- Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in deep & heavy bottomed pan. Add chopped onions and sauté 2 till soft and lightly browned.
- While the onion is sautéing, mash the ginger, garlic and green chillies together using a mortar & pestle
- Add the ginger-garlic-chilli paste to the onions once they are lightly browned. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tsp of ground spices and sauté further for one minute.
- Add the marinated chicken to the above and mix well till the chicken is covered with spices. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes on low flame. Add little water if required.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop the potatoes in four pieces and fry them till crisp and cooked.
- Now take a big metal or mud pot and grease it with ghee. Spread one layer of rice and top it with a layer of chicken gravy and 2 potatoes. Repeat this three times ending with a layer of rice. Heat the rest of the ghee and pour it on the top layer.
- Seal the mouth of the pot with wheat flour dough to tighten the lid and place a heavy weight like chakla on top of it. Cook this on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes and let it stand for another 30 minutes before opening.
- Serve hot with raita and a mutton gravy
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