Learn how to make a delicious, aromatic Chicken Biryani from scratch, without using the ready-made biryani spice mixes.
Serves 12-16 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients Required:
- 750g Basmati Rice
- 1kg Whole Chicken (Skin Off, Cut Into Pieces)
- 500g Potatoes (Peeled and Quartered)
- 3 Medium Onions
- 4 Tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 Cup Yoghurt (Low Fat Natural/Greek, lightly beaten to avoid curdling)
- 50g Unsalted Butter/Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Garlic (grated)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger (grated)
- Orange Food Colouring
- Water
Spices Required (experiment/change to suit your needs):
- 3 cloves
- 3 Whole Black Peppers
- 3 Cardamom Pods (Elaichi)
- 3 Dried Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander (Dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi)
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (depending on how much chilli you can handle!)
Method:
- Add the rice to a large bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 30 minutes while preparing the chicken for the biryani.
- Process 2 onions in a food processor. Alternatively, chop into small chunks.
- Heat butter/oil in a large pan on a high heat, and add the onions.
- Fry onions for 5-10 minutes or until they are brown, moving them around the pan regularly using a large spoon.
- Add the garlic and ginger, 1/2 tablespoon salt, spices, and mix well to get a deep brown mixture.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken to the pan, mix well and cook for approximately 5 minutes on a medium/high heat (or until the chicken releases it’s water and turns white instead of pink). Turn the chicken in the pan a few times to cook on all sides.
- Stir in the yoghurt, and add the potatoes. Bring to the boil.
- Add 2 cups of cold water (or pre-boiled water), bring to the boil, then allow the chicken and potato to simmer for 30-35 minutes on a low to medium heat, with lid on.
- Turn off heat and leave on hob while cooking rice for the biryani
To make the rice
- Drain the soaked rice and rinse with cold water.
- Add 1500ml of boiling water to a large pan, along with 1/2 tablespoon salt and the drained rice, and bring to the boil.
- Turn to a low heat, place lid on pan and cook for 7-10 minutes (or until rice is cooked).
Assemble the biryani
- While the rice is cooking, thinly slice one onion, and fry in a little oil in a frying pan on medium heat until brown and crisp.
- Remove half of the cooked rice from the pan and place in a large plate/tray.
- Evenly spread the bottom layer of rice still in the pan.
- Layer the chicken and potatoes over the rice evenly. Pour over the sauce from the chicken and potato curry. Use some or all the curry sauce depending on your taste.
- Layer the rice that you placed to one side over the chicken and potatoes. Spread evenly.
- Sprinkle/drizzle over the food colouring.
- Decorate with the fried onions.
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
