How to make Chicken Biryani | Best Chicken Biryani Recipe
Wondering how to make Chicken Biryani at home? With this best chicken biryani recipe, you get the perfect fluffy and fragrant authentic Indian restaurant-style chicken rice!
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Indian
Keyword
best chicken biryani recipe, how to make biryani, one pot chicken biryani
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time32minutes
Soaking rice20minutes
Total Time52minutes
Servings3
AuthorKiki Johnson
Ingredients
1cupbasmati rice 1 cup = 200 g
2clovesgarlic
1thumb big pieceginger
1green chile
½bunchfresh cilantro
2tspcumin seeds
1tspcoriander seeds
2whole cloves
4cardamom podsgreen
1tbsptomato paste
10cashew nuts
1/4cupscoconut flakes30 g
1tspgaram masala
2tbspscoconut oil
1tspbrown sugar or coconut sugar
1onion
2bigchicken breasts or thighsabout 300 g, boneless and skinless (2 breasts)
2tbspsghee
1laurel leaf
1cinnamon stick
1/2tspturmeric
1/4cupraisinsI used golden
1/4cupdried cranberries
450mlchicken broth1,9 cups
salt
Instructions
Basmati rice often has some fine starch powder on it. So, rinse the basmati rice 4 to 5 times in plenty of water until it runs clear. Drain the rice and soak for 20 minutes.
Peel garlic and ginger and mince. Halve the chili and remove seeds. Chop the coriander and put some aside for decoration.
Heat a small pan on medium heat and toast the cumin, coriander, cloves and 2 cardamom seeds for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the pan and grind in your spice mill.
Add ground spices, garlic, ginger, chili, chopped cilantro, tomato paste, nuts, garam masala, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp coconut sugar to a food processor and pulse everything to a spice paste.
Add a splash of water or some more coconut oil, if needed.
Peel and slice the onion. Chop chicken into cubes or strips.
Drain the rice very well in a sieve.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee over medium heat and fry onion with laurel, cinnamon stick and remaining cardamom pods for about 10 minutes.
Add turmeric, meat and the homemade spice paste and let everything saute for 3 minutes, stirring once in a while.
Add rice along with raisins, cranberries, and broth. Turn up the heat and let everything heat up for 45 seconds. Put on the lid and reduce heat to medium and let cook for 10 minutes until liquid evaporates. Should the liquid evaporate too quickly, add a splash of water or broth and stir.
Lift the lid and stir quickly, then cover the pot with a clean kitchen towel before putting the lid on again firmly. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and let the biryani cook another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let the biryani rest for 10 minutes. Now, all the liquid should be completely gone.
Fluff up biryani with a fork and serve with chopped cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Garam Masala is an Indian spice mix that you'll find it in the spices aisle at everyday supermarkets.
For this recipe use fresh whole spices, not ground ones that have been sitting around in your pantry for years!
Basmati rice can be substituted with jasmine or long grain rice but be aware that the fragrance will be slightly different.
Ghee is clarified butter, and you can make your own using this recipe. Otherwise, you'll find ghee in the Indian/Asian section of your grocery store.
Make this Chicken Biryani with your protein of choice like goat, lamb, beef, rabbit– or try a vegetable biryani!
Leftover chicken biryani keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it in the microwave. As the rice will not be quite as moist with leftovers, I recommend you serve it with homemade raita.