Pavan Kumar Kandapagari

Jun 10, 2022

Making Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Food either be cooking or eating is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. So today I will share one of my most liked dishes with you guys.

So a bit of intro about this dish... not gonna lie I got most of the definitions from the internet. 😂

Hyderabadi chicken biryani is an aromatic, mouth-watering, and authentic Indian dish with succulent chicken in layers of fluffy rice, fragrant spices, and fried onions.

WHAT IS BIRYANI?

Biryani is a classic Indian mixed rice dish that is part of the Indian Mughlai culinary tradition, which traces its roots to Central Asian cuisine and a rich fusion of Indian flavors and techniques. It is prepared with layers of fluffy basmati rice and exquisitely spiced meat or chicken.

To marinate chicken:

750 gms chicken pieces (clean and wash well), salt to taste, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 2 small cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon shahi jeera (black cumin), ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ¾ cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon green chili paste (green chili and coriander leaves blended paste with a pinch of salt), ½ cup fried onions (crush and add), ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon oil, 3-4 chopped mint leaves, 1 teaspoon lemon extracted juice, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves.

To boil rice:

Basmati Rice 750 gms, enough water to boil the rice, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 6-8 black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon shahi jeera, 2 cardamoms, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon oil.

To garnish during dum:

2 tablespoon crushed fried onions, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander and mint leaves, 2-3 saffron strands soaked in milk, 2 tablespoons saffron food color, and 1 teaspoon clarified butter/ ghee.

INSTRUCTIONS

Chicken Marination:

Add salt to the chicken, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, cinnamon sticks (or powder), and cloves. Also, add cardamom powder, shahi jeera (black cumin), garam masala powder, tandoori powder(which can be found in any Indian store), and yogurt, and mix well. Add black pepper powder, ghee, chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, and coriander leaves, and mix well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge).

Boiling the rice:

Add a good amount of water to a cooking pot. Add whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, shahi jeera, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, salt to taste, and oil. Bring the water to a boil. Add soaked (for ½ hour) basmati rice into the boiling water. Stir in between and cook the rice until 75% done or for about 10 minutes. Strain and cool the rice so that it doesn't stick to itself.

Cooking the chicken:

To a medium-sized pan on high heat add ghee and bring it to the smoke point. Quickly add cumin, Indian bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Add green chilies and chopped red onions and stir till translucent. Add chopped tomatoes to the mix and cook till very less water is present. Add powdered wholes spices and store-bought biriyani masala. Once a thick paste with oil on top add marinated chicken to it and cook through. Now ready for the dum part of the dish.

Dum procedure:

Place a large pan on medium heat. Place a cooking pot on the pan. Add little ghee at the base, add the fried chicken gravy, and spread evenly. Add the strained rice. Spread evenly. Top it with crushed fried onions, chopped coriander, and mint leaves, saffron strands soaked in milk, saffron food color, and clarified butter/ ghee. Cover tightly with an aluminum foil. Cover with a lid. Dum on high flame for 10 minutes and on low flame for 30 minutes. Biryani is ready to serve.

Thank you for reading my ramblings

Until Next time – stay foxy and much love.