Chicken Biryani – Hyderabadi Style
Recipe Summary
- A classic Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani recipe featuring tender chicken marinated in a rich blend of spices and yogurt, layered with aromatic basmati rice, fried onions, and fresh herbs, then slow-cooked to perfection.
All Ingredients - For Chicken Marinade
- Chicken (large pieces with bones) 1 kg
- Chilli powder 5 tsp
- Shahjeera (caraway seeds) 1 tsp
- Cloves 10
- Cinnamon 8
- Cardamom powder 1 tsp
- Coriander powder 4 tsp
- Salt 2 tsp
- Ginger garlic paste 4 tbsp
- Green chilli paste 1.5 tbsp
- Curd/yogurt (whisked) 300 ml
- Fried onions 4 medium onions
- Chopped coriander 1/2 cup
- Mint leaves 1/2 cup
- Oil 1 cup
All Ingredients - For Rice
- Water 2.5 liters
- Cloves 4
- Cinnamon 2
- Cardamom 4
- Shahjeera (caraway seeds) 3/4 tsp
- Salt 2.5 tbsp
- Basmati rice (soaked for 30 mins) 750 gms
All Ingredients - For Layering and Dum
- Mint leaves 10-15 nos.
- Fried onions 2-3 tbsp
- Ghee (mixed in 1/2 cup hot water) 1 tbsp
- Saffron milk 1/2 cup
- Fried onions 3-4 tbsp
Tools You'll Need
- Pan
- Pot
- Tawa
- Griddle
- Bowl
Don't have an ingredient? Try these swaps
No Garlic (fresh)?
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (per clove)
- 1/2 tsp garlic granules (per clove)
No Yogurt?
- Sour cream (1:1)
- Buttermilk (1:1, slightly thinner result)
No Onion?
- 1 tbsp onion powder (per medium onion)
- 3 tbsp dried minced onion
- Shallots or leeks (1:1)
No Ghee?
- Unsalted butter (1:1)
- Neutral oil (1:1, lacks the toasted note)
No Milk?
- Unsweetened almond / soy / oat milk (1:1)
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water (per 1 cup)
No Saffron?
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (color only, no flavor match)
- 1/2 tsp safflower threads
⚠ Contains Allergens
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Chicken Marinade
In a large pan, arrange the 1 kg chicken pieces. Add 5 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp shahjeera (caraway seeds), 10 cloves, 8 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 4 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp salt, 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1.5 tbsp green chilli paste, 300 ml whisked curd/yogurt, fried onions from 4 medium onions, 1/2 cup chopped coriander, 1/2 cup mint leaves, and 1 cup oil. Mix all ingredients thoroughly with your hands until the chicken pieces are well coated.
Step 2: Marinate Chicken
Cover the pan with a lid and set aside to marinate for .
Step 3: Prepare Rice Water
In a separate large pot, bring 2.5 liters of water to a boil. Add 4 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cardamom pods, 3/4 tsp shahjeera (caraway seeds), and 2.5 tbsp salt. Stir well to dissolve the salt and infuse the spices.
Step 4: Cook Rice
Add 750 gms of basmati rice (which has been soaked for ) to the boiling water. Cook on high heat for . The rice should be about 70-80% cooked and still firm. Drain the rice immediately.
Step 5: Layer Biryani (First Layer)
Carefully layer about half of the cooked basmati rice over the marinated chicken in the pan.
Step 6: Add Herbs and Onions
Sprinkle 10-15 mint leaves and 2-3 tbsp of fried onions over the first rice layer.
Step 7: Layer Biryani (Second Layer)
Add the remaining cooked basmati rice on top of the first layer, spreading it evenly.
Step 8: Add Ghee and Saffron
Drizzle 1 tbsp of ghee (mixed in 1/2 cup hot hot water) evenly over the rice. Pour 1/2 cup of saffron milk over the rice.
Step 9: Final Toppings
Sprinkle an additional 3-4 tbsp of fried onions on top of the rice.
Step 10: Seal for Dum Cooking
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, ensuring no steam can escape. Then, place the lid on top of the foil. Place a heavy object (like a bowl filled with water) on the lid to create a tight seal for dum cooking.
Step 11: Dum Cook (High Heat)
Cook the biryani on high heat for .
Step 12: Dum Cook (Low Heat)
After on high heat, transfer the biryani pot to a tawa (griddle) placed over the flame. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional .
Step 13: Rest Biryani
Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, covered, for . This allows the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking perfectly (total covered time including high heat cooking and rest will be ).
Step 14: Serve
Gently mix the rice and chicken from the bottom of the pot to combine the layers and flavors. Serve the Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani hot.
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