Chicken Biryani – Two Versions (30-min Easy & 3-hr Traditional)

Step 1: 30-Minute Easy Biryani: Slice Onion

Slice one white onion as thinly as possible.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 5: 30-Minute Easy Biryani: Season Chicken

Add a generous pinch of salt directly to the chicken.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 10: 30-Minute Easy Biryani: Cook Rice

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

Step 11: 30-Minute Easy Biryani: Prepare Garnish

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

Step 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).

Step 13: 30-Minute Easy Biryani: Garnish and Serve

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 20: 3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Prepare Onions for Frying

Thinly slice 2-3 large white onions.

Step 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).

Step 22: 3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Wash Rice

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 30: 3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Add Flavored Oil

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 33: 3-Hour Traditional Biryani: Final Garnish

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

Step 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.

Step 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).

• Use ghee for cooking rice to enhance flavor.

• Do not let spices burn; move quickly when adding them.

• When adding yogurt, ensure the heat is not too high to prevent it from separating.

• Wash rice thoroughly until water runs clear to remove excess starch for fluffy grains.

• Par-boil rice to 75% doneness (al dente) to avoid mushiness during steaming.

• Spread par-boiled rice on a baking sheet to cool and prevent sticking.

• Score chicken pieces to allow marinade to penetrate deeply.

• Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

• Peel ginger easily with a spoon to minimize waste.

• Fry onions in a cold pan with ample oil for even crisping.

• Seal the pot tightly with foil and a lid during steaming (dum) to trap heat and moisture.

• 30-Minute Easy Biryani: A quicker version using pre-made masala, garlic/ginger paste from tubes, and canned fire-roasted tomatoes, cooked in one pot.

• Traditional Biryani: A 3-hour version involving grinding fresh whole spices, making fresh ginger-garlic paste, frying crispy onions, and layering the biryani for steaming.