Ingredients
Chicken & marinade
- Chicken Thighs454 g
- Yogurt113 g
- Black Peppercorns10
- Whole cloves5
- Garlic, chopped2 cloves
- Fresh ginger, chopped1-inch piece
- Onions1/2
- Lemon juice1/2 lemon
- Ground cinnamona pinch
- Ground coriandera sprinkle
- Cumina sprinkle
- Poppy Seedsa sprinkle
- Salta spoonful
Biryani components
- Basmati Rice120 g
- Cooking oil60 g
- Milk30 g
- Turmeric powder6 g
- Bay Leaves3
- Onions1/2
Optional garnishes
- Golden raisins
- Almonds, blanched
- Eggs, hard-boiled
Method
Step 1: Fry the aromatics & marinate the chicken
Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil.
While heating, finely slice half an onion into rings. Add the bay leaves and for 15 seconds. Toss in the sliced onions and fry for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them!
Meanwhile, add the marinade ingredients (except the yogurt and chicken) to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place the paste, yogurt, and chicken in a bowl and mix to combine.
Step 2: Simmer the chicken
Remove half of the fried onions with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve some of the oil and bay leaves for garnish later on.
Add the chicken and marinade to the cast iron and for 8 minutes until the has by half.
Meanwhile, set a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a .
Step 3: Par-boil the rice & soak the turmeric
Preheat the oven to 300°F/148°C.
Add the rice to the water and parboil the rice for 8-10 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Soak the turmeric in hot but not boiling milk (warm it up in the or in a sauce pot).
Step 4: Bake the biryani
Remove the chicken from the stove and layer the rice over top. Pour the turmeric milk over the rice in orange lines. Spoon the onion-flavored oil from the pan along with the bay leaves.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place the lid over top to seal the dish.
for 10-15 minutes or until the rice has absorbed any extra liquid and is cooked through and fluffy.
Spoon the biryani onto a plate and sprinkle with fried onions and other garnishes of your choice. Enjoy.
“Chicken biryani is a top chicken and rice dish. It's chicken marinated in tons of spices and yogurt, blanketed in a swath of basmati rice with streaks of saffron milk and fried onions over top. I designed this recipe to replicate most of the classic flavors but on a quick weeknight schedule.”
Ethan ChlebowskiWatch & Cook
Nutritional Information
Show macros split into…
Recommended: 4 servings
FAQ
How is your recipe different from traditional biryani?
I decided to make a quicker 35 minute version because ingredients for the more traditional version are harder to find or tend to be more expensive. For example, saffron is used in the more traditional version. Saffron can be one of the most expensive and hard to find spices. I substituted turmeric for saffron and skipped the black cardamom that is typically used. Black cardamom is harder to find in most grocery stores. Lastly, I used boneless chicken, whereas the original uses bone-in. I also did not the chicken for 2 hours and decided to parboil the rice longer to speed up the cooking process. If you want to make a more traditional version check out the recipe from An Invitation to Indian Cooking.
Is saffron worth paying for and adding to this dish?
Saffron adds an incredible floral with a slight . It is really different than most spices & is very unique. If you can get it, definitely worth adding to this dish. Replace the turmeric with it during the milk blooming process.