Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani Recipe

Hyderabadi Biryani , one among the most popular dish from down the south but spread all across the country and even abroad.

What’s great about Hyderabadi biryani is its unique taste and influences from different parts of the world, especially from the Mughals.

Hyderabadi style of biryani where raw chicken is marinated and partially cooked basmati rice are layered and cooked on dum, over low heat.

Traditionally, biryani is slow cooked over firewood where each rice grain appears separate, non-greasy and is flavorful. And the chicken is super soft, moist and tender. You can achieve the same flavor while cooking over stove top too.

I prepared this biryani a couple of times. This is a no-fail recipe for Hyderabadi chicken biryani that’s perfect. Once the chicken biryani is cooked on dum, as you open the lid, the kitchen smells fragrant, rich with the reassuring aroma of pure ghee and saffron and the chicken cooked to melt in the mouth tenderness. Perfectly spiced biryani!

The secret to making perfect Hyderabadi chicken biryani

What kind of rice is used to make biryani?

If you are preparing authentic Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe, use only the best quality Basmati rice. I have used few brands like Kohinoor, Daawat and India Gate basmati rice. But the best biryani rice in terms of the long grain, aroma, and flavor would be India Gate. The aroma is simply out of the world and when cooked each grain is separate, and cooks beautifully.

How do you cook basmati rice?

For 1 kg basmati rice, use at least 6-7 liters of water. Add the spices and salt (as mentioned in the recipe) to the water and allow to sit for 20-30 mins. Drain the water from the rice into a larger vessel and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the basmati rice at this stage and cook on high flame for 6-7 mins. Reduce flame to low medium and cook for a few more mins. You have to check at regular intervals while the rice is cooking by pressing a rice grain between your thumb and index finger. It should be undercooked, just slightly soft on touch yet still grainy in texture. When it’s just half cooked, immediately drain the water. Do not allow the rice to cool completely. Start layering the rice at this stage or within 2-4 mins of straining it.

Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe

Prepare time: 60 min Cook: 30 min Serves: 10 Cuisine: hyderabadi

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely
2 large onions, finely sliced
3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
1/3 cup pudina leaves
1/2 tsp saffron
3 tbsp lukewarm milk
salt to taste
2 tbsps ghee + 4 tbsps oil

For marination:
3/4 cup sour thick curd/yogurt
8 10 green chillis, make a small slit in them
1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
1/4 tsp turmeric pw
3/4 tbsp coriander pwd
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup pudina leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1 3/4 tsp salt
Biryani masala, make powder:
8 cloves
1″ cinnamon stick
4 elaichi/cardamom
3/4 tsp shah jeera
12 pepper corns

Ingredients to cook rice:
4 cups Basmati rice (1 kg)
6 cloves
3 cardamoms
1″ cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
1 marathi mogga
1 star anise
10 mint leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tbsps salt
water as required

Method for making Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe

Heat 3 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, Once hot, reduce flame and add the sliced onions and fry till they reach a nice golden brown color. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon immediately as they quickly turn a darker color. Set aside to cool.

Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with three fourth of the biryani masala powder and 3 tbsps of the fried onions. Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs. While the chicken is marinating, and keep it aside.

Add the saffron to the lukewarm milk and combine well. Keep aside.

Cook basmati rice in a good amount of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, cardamom, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate.

Take a vessel to prepare the biryani. Add the leftover oil+ghee mixture (after frying the onions), add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 min. Reduce flame.

Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Next, sprinkle half of the chopped coriander leaves, half of the mint leaves, and a large pinch of biryani masala. Pour 1 1/2 tbsps of saffron milk over the rice.

Place lid and over the lid, place a heavyweight. Seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mins.

Remove the vessel from the stove and place an iron tawa. Increase the flame and allow the tawa to turn hot.

Reduce to low flame and place the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mins. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, remove the lid and serve hot with raita and chicken curry.