Indian Chicken Biryani

This Chicken Biryani is everything we love about Indian food - big bold curry flavors, beautifully spiced and super satisfying. Although there are quite a few ingredients to gather for this dish, it comes together quickly - especially if you do some chopping and prepping while the chicken marinates. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or cooking for family, you will love this chicken biryani!

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Chicken biryani is a combo of richly spiced chicken curry and fluffy aromatic basmati rice, layered together and cooked in a tightly sealed pot to allow the fantastic flavors of the curry to infuse into the rice.

WHY I LOVE THIS DISH

First, I think you should know that I'm somewhat obsessed with Biryani - the aroma, the flavors, the comfort factor... My Indian Lamb Biryani is one of the Panning The Globe's most popular recipes and also one of the most requested dishes in my house.

Also, I have a thing for exotic chicken and rice dishes - the way the flavors meld, how hearty and satisfying they are...

This chicken biryani recipe has it all - the melding of the flavors, the heavenly aromas, the supremely satisfying chicken and rice thing going on. And, to boot, this biryani is relatively quick and easy to prepare because it's made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, which cook up quickly (especially compared to beef and lamb).

So let's get down to what you need to make this chicken biryani.

INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Whole milk Greek yogurt - used to marinate the chicken. Many Biryani recipes use yogurt (sometimes called “curd”) as the base of the marinade. Yogurt mixed with spices is a powerfully effective marinade that both tenderizes the chicken and infuses it with flavor.
• Turmeric, coriander and mild chili powder - to season the biryani.
• Garam Masala - a must-have spice mix for cooking Indian food. It's easy to find at the grocery store or online or you can make it yourself. I like Madhur Jaffrey's recipe.
• Ginger-garlic paste - a 50/50 mix of puréed ginger and puréed garlic (more on that below)
• Small hot green chilies - When I can find Indian green peppers I love to use them, but I often use Jalapeños which are always available at my local grocery store and they work well, too. Feel free to use any small thin hot fresh chilies.
• Chicken - I recommend boneless skinless thighs because they stay juicy and don't overcook easily.
• Basmati rice - Basmati is the most common choice of rice for biryani because it is a long-grain variety with a hearty texture that holds up to long cooking times. Plus, it has a delicate nutty flavor that complements the spices and flavors of biryani.
• Cardamom pods and cumin seeds - these whole spices are used to add aromatic flavors to the dish.
• Yellow onion - red onions will work too.
• Canned tomatoes - Italian plum tomatoes and tomato paste
• Saffron threads - saffron is an expensive ingredient and if you choose to omit it, the biryani will still be delicious. But if you do spring for it, you'll only need a small amount and it adds a splash of uniquely delicious flavor and vivid color to this dish.
• Milk - a small amount of warm whole milk is used for soaking the saffron threads so they release their flavor and can be poured evenly over the top of the biryani. You can use low-fat milk if you prefer.
• Fresh mint and cilantro - these herbs add a layer of bright, fresh flavor.
• Vegetable oil or ghee
• Salt

IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO MAKE GINGER GARLIC PASTE?

Many Asian recipes call for ginger-garlic paste and they often recommend using a blender or food processor for the task. This method works well for large amounts but it's a big production and when you're done you have an appliance to clean. Also, you may not want to make a large amount because there are dangers to storing ginger-garlic paste in the fridge.
If you want to make a small amount of ginger garlic paste - just enough for one recipe - crush the garlic in a garlic press and grate the ginger root on a microplane zester/grater. It's a relatively quick and easy process and you can throw the appliances in the dishwasher when you're done.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN BIRYANI

This biryani recipe can be broken down into four steps:

1. Marinate the chicken
2. Rinse and partially pre-cook the rice
3. Make the chicken curry
4. Layer everything together and simmer until done

STEP 1: MARINATE THE CHICKEN

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl: yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilies turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and up to 24 hours, covered in the fridge.

STEP 2: PREPARE THE RICE:

While the chicken is marinating, swish and rinse the rice to remove excess starch. Rinsing rice is an important step in making biryani. Removing the starch ensures that the rice grains stay separate and fluffy when cooked.

Precook the rice, partially, until it's ¾ done. It will finish cooking after it's layered in with the chicken curry.

STEP 3: MAKE THE CHICKEN CURRY:

While the chicken is marinating and the rice is simmering, you can start preparing the chicken curry.

Sauté the whole spices and onions. Next add the chicken with its marinade. Sauté chicken for a couple of minutes on each side and then add the tomatoes. Cook, covered, for ten minutes.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE THE CHICKEN BIRYANI AND SIMMER

Now comes the fun part: layering on the rice, herbs and spices.

This part moves quickly so have all of your ingredients ready and accessible: the chicken curry, partially-cooked rice, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, salt, garam masala and saffron threads soaked in hot milk.

Spread half the rice out evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle on half the herbs, salt and garam masala. Drizzle on half the saffron milk. Repeat with the rest of the rice, herbs, spices and saffron milk.

Cover the pan tightly and simmer the biryani gently for 10 minutes.

When you uncover your biryani, enjoy a beautiful, aromatic, delicious treat for the senses!

HOW TO SERVE BIRYANI

Pile chicken biryani onto plates or into shallow bowls. I highly recommend serving cucumber raita on the side. Raita, with its cooling yogurt base, is the perfect complement to the rich and spicy layers of biryani.

You may also enjoy serving a store-bought mango chutney on the side - always lovely with biryani.

If you're interested in broadening the biryani meal, add warm naan on the side and a green salad with citrusy dressing, or a simple salad of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions drizzled with oil and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper.

You may also enjoy serving a store-bought chutney on the side - always tasty with biryani.

I hope you enjoy this Indian Chicken Biryani Recipe. If you do try it, please come back and leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Indian Chicken Biryani Recipe

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 6 reviews

• Author: Lisa Goldfinger
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yield: 4 generous servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

This Chicken Biryani combines rich flavorful chicken curry and fragrant basmati rice into a hearty, delicious dish. Serve with cucumber raita on the side. This is a relatively quick biryani recipe to prepare. Although the prep time says an hour and 30 minutes, you can shorten that time if you do some of the prep work while the chicken marinates.

Adapted with inspiration from Panning The Globe's Lamb Biryani recipe, this recipe by Swasthi's Recipes and this one by Maunika Gowardhan.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For The Marinated Chicken:

• ½ cup full fat greek yogurt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon mild chili powder (note 1)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala, divided
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, divided (note 2)
• 2 small hot peppers (such as jalapeños) halved lengthwise (note 3)
• Kosher salt
• 1 ⅓ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

For The Rice

• 1 ½ cups raw basmati rice (11 ounces)

For The Chicken Curry:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped (1 ½ cups tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste (remaining from above)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Kosher salt, to taste

For Assembling The Biryani:

• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon garam masala (remaining from above)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

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Instructions

Equipment: Large heavy skillet or shallow Dutch oven, with a lid.

1. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, turmeric, chili powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, chili peppers and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss with the chicken to coat. Set aside and marinate for 30 minutes or cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
2. Put rice into a large bowl and cover with cold water by a few inches. Swish rice with your hands to release its starch, pour off the cloudy water and repeat 2 or 3 times until water is clear.
3. Cook rice partially, for ¼ less time than the package recommends, then drain and set aside.
4. Whisk the tomato paste with the chopped tomatoes to combine and set aside.
5. Heat oil or ghee in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 15 - 20 seconds until fragrant. Add onions and sauté for 8 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, to soften. Add coriander and remaining 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add chicken and marinade to the pan and spread chicken into a single layer. Turn heat to medium-high and cook chicken undisturbed for 3 minutes. Then flip and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a simmer, cover pan and cook at a gentle summer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.
6. Heat milk in the microwave and add saffron threads to hot milk by rubbing them between your fingers to break them up as they fall into the milk. Leave to soak for 3-5 minutes.
7. To assemble biryani, spread half the rice evenly over the chicken curry. Sprinkle on evenly: 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, ¼ teaspoon garam masala and ¼ teaspoon salt. Drizzle on 2 tablespoons of saffron milk. Repeat with the rest of the rice, herbs, remaining ¼ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining saffron milk. Cover pan tightly and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, until the rice is tender. Leave biryani to rest with the lid on for 5 -10 minutes.
8. Serve with Cucumber Raita on the side. Mango chutney is also a delicious accompaniment.

Notes

1. If you are looking for a good mild chili powder for biryani, Kashmiri chili powder or Deggi Mirch are good choices. Aleppo pepper, though not traditional in Indian cuisine, is also a good choice.
2. How To Make Ginger-garlic paste: An easy way to make a small amount of ginger Ginger-garlic paste is to use a garlic press for the garlic and a microplane zester/grater for the grating the ginger. For this recipe you'll need 1 tablespoon of pressed garlic and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger. You may need as many as 6 or 7 garlic cloves, depending on their size. You'll probably need a 2-inch or larger chunk of ginger root, big enough so you can grasp it while you're grating it.
3. The spicy peppers will influence the heat of this dish. For a milder biryani, remove the seeds and pith of the chilies. If you like a lot of heat, leave them in.

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• marinating: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Dinner
• Method: simmer
• Cuisine: Indian

This recipe was first published on Panning The Globe in May 2018. The recipe post has been refreshed and updated with more pertinent information and new photos. The recipe directions have been edited and revised to make the recipe easier to follow. The same delicious recipe!