Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Slice Onion

   Slice one white onion as thinly as possible.

2. 2.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Sauté Onions

   Heat a shallow pot over medium heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of ghee. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they start to get brown edges, adding more ghee if they become too dry.

3. 3.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Add Spices and Aromatics

   Once onions have some color, add 3-4 tablespoons of pre-made biryani masala. Quickly add 1-2 tablespoons each of garlic paste and ginger paste. Mix well, ensuring spices don't burn.

4. 4.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Brown Chicken

   Add 6-8 chicken drumsticks to the pot. Cook for a couple of minutes to get a little color on the chicken.

5. 5.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Season Chicken

   Add a generous pinch of salt directly to the chicken.

6. 6.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Add Tomatoes

   Once chicken has some color, add 1 can (14.5 oz) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze and incorporate all browned bits. Let cook down.

7. 7.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Add Yogurt

   Add 1 tablespoon of full-fat regular yogurt. Mix well to combine with the chicken and tomato mixture, ensuring the heat is not too high to prevent the yogurt from separating.

8. 8.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Wash Rice

   Wash 2 cups of Basmati Sella rice under cold water 3-5 times until the water runs clear, removing excess starch.

9. 9.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Combine Rice and Water

   Add the washed rice to the pot with the chicken mixture. Mix everything together, ensuring every grain of rice is coated. Add 3-4 cups of water to cover the rice and chicken. Bring to a nice aggressive bubble.

10. 10.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Cook Rice

    Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

11. 11.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Prepare Garnish

    While rice cooks, roughly chop 1/4 cup each of fresh cilantro and mint.

12. 12.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Check Doneness

    After 15 minutes, uncover the pot. Check chicken temperature with a thermometer (should be 165°F/74°C).

13. 13.30-Minute Easy Biryani: Garnish and Serve

    Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and mint over the biryani. Serve immediately.

14. 14.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Prepare Whole Spices

    Gather whole spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, 1 black cardamom, 3-4 green cardamom pods, 1 (1-2 inch) cinnamon stick, 4-5 cloves, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, and 1 tsp black peppercorns.

15. 15.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Toast and Grind Spices

    Place all whole spices in a dry pan. Toast over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder and blend until a fine powder. Set aside.

16. 16.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Prepare Chicken

    Remove skin from 6-8 chicken drumsticks. Score each piece with a knife to allow marinade to penetrate.

17. 17.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Make Ginger-Garlic Paste

    In a mortar and pestle, combine 10-12 garlic cloves and a 1-inch nub of peeled ginger. Add a pinch of salt and pound until a paste forms.

18. 18.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Marinate Chicken

    In a large bowl, add the scored chicken. Add the fresh ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 cup of full-fat regular yogurt, the freshly ground whole spice masala (reserve some for later), a generous pinch of salt, 1-2 tablespoons of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric, and the juice from 1/2 lemon. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Massage thoroughly to coat all chicken pieces.

19. 19.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Chill Marinade

    Cover the marinated chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, for maximum flavor.

20. 20.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Prepare Onions for Frying

    Thinly slice 2-3 large white onions.

21. 21.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Fry Crispy Onions

    Place sliced onions in a cold pan. Add 2-3 cups of neutral-flavored oil (enough to almost deep-fry the onions). Add a hefty pinch of salt. Turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until onions are dark golden brown and crispy (approx. 1 hour 15 minutes).

22. 22.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Wash Rice

    Wash 2 cups of Basmati Rice under cold water multiple times until water runs clear.

23. 23.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Par-boil Rice

    In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt. To perfume the water, add a cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamom pods, and 1 star anise (optional). Add the washed rice. Cook like pasta until al dente (75% cooked), tasting to check for a slight bite.

24. 24.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Drain and Cool Rice

    Immediately drain the par-boiled rice into a colander. Spread the rice onto a large baking sheet to cool down and prevent it from becoming mushy, allowing each strand to separate.

25. 25.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Cook Chicken Base

    Heat a large pot with ghee. Add the marinated chicken. Cook for 5-10 minutes to get some color and develop a fond at the bottom of the pan.

26. 26.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Drain Crispy Onions

    Once crispy onions are done, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain. Lightly kiss with a pinch of salt.

27. 27.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Strain Onion Oil

    Strain the onion-infused oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a squeeze bottle for later use.

28. 28.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Prepare Saffron Milk

    In a mortar and pestle, grind 1/4 tsp of saffron threads until powdered. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and let it steep for a few minutes to infuse.

29. 29.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Layer Biryani (First Layer)

    Start with the cooked chicken base in the pot. Sprinkle a handful of fresh cilantro and mint over the chicken. Add a layer of crispy fried onions. Then add about half of the par-boiled rice.

30. 30.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Add Flavored Oil

    Drizzle some of the strained onion-infused oil over the rice.

31. 31.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Layer Biryani (Second Layer)

    Add more fresh cilantro and mint. Another layer of crispy fried onion. Add the remaining rice.

32. 32.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Add Saffron Milk and Final Oil

    Drizzle more onion-infused oil over the second layer of rice. Drizzle the saffron milk in a pattern across the rice.

33. 33.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Final Garnish

    Top with remaining fresh cilantro, mint, and crispy fried onions.

34. 34.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Steam (Dum) Biryani

    Cover the pot tightly with two layers of aluminum foil, then place the lid on top to create a tight seal. Cook on very low heat for 25 minutes to steam (dum) the biryani.

35. 35.3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Serve Biryani

    Uncover the biryani. Gently fluff and mix the rice to distribute the colors and flavors. Serve with raita (yogurt with cucumber and mint).