Chinese Chicken Biryani Recipe

Step 1: Prepare Scrambled Eggs

Crack 4 eggs into a bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and a little yellow food coloring (optional). Mix well with a fork. Add a little milk and mix again. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan. Pour the egg mixture into the hot oil. Once one side is cooked, flip and scramble the eggs until fully cooked. Set aside, reserving some for later layering.

Step 2: Prepare Chicken and Initial Vegetables

Cut 700g boneless chicken into long strips. Peel and finely chop 1 head of garlic. Chop the white parts of green onions. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the chopped garlic and cook until it turns a light pink color (around 2:35). Add the chopped white parts of green onion and mix. Add the cut chicken and mix. Cook the chicken until its color changes (around 2:54).

Step 3: Add Spices and Remaining Vegetables

Add 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tbsp salt (adjust to taste), 1 tsp chili flakes, and 2 finely chopped green chilies. Mix well. Add 1 bowl of finely chopped carrots (long strips) and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 bowl of green peas and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of water to cook the green peas, carrots, and chicken. Cover and cook until the water is mostly absorbed (around 4:05 - 4:09). Add chopped cabbage, chopped green bell peppers (save some for later), and chopped red bell peppers. Mix well. Cook without covering. Add half of the chopped green onions, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce (optional), 1 tbsp ketchup, and 1 tbsp hot chili sauce. Mix. Add some of the cooked scrambled eggs. Add 1/2 tbsp whole cumin seeds and mix. Increase heat to high and cook until the mixture is slightly moist but not dry. Add 1 tbsp vinegar (or lemon juice if no vinegar). Mix. Ensure the vegetables and chicken retain some moisture; do not dry completely. Take out half of the cooked chicken and vegetables into a separate bowl.

Step 4: Boil Basmati Rice

Wash 2 cups of basmati rice until the water is clear, then soak for 40 minutes (or 2 hours for sella rice). Heat water in a large pot. Add 2 green cardamoms, 1 brown cardamom, 1 star anise, 4 cloves, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp vinegar, and 2 tbsp salt. Add the soaked basmati rice. Boil the rice on high heat for 3 minutes, until 95% cooked. Cover and continue to boil briefly. Strain the rice and leave it in the strainer for 10 minutes to drain excess water. Fluff the rice gently.

Step 5: Layer and Steam the Biryani

In the wok with the remaining chicken and vegetables, add a layer of boiled rice. Add some of the cooked eggs, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and chopped green chilies (optional). Add a layer of the cooked chicken and vegetables (from the bowl set aside earlier). Add another layer of boiled rice. Add the remaining cooked chicken and vegetables. Add the remaining cooked eggs, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and chopped green chilies (optional). Drizzle 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp hot chili sauce over the rice (optional, for extra flavor as Chinese fried rice can be bland). Add 1 tsp cooking oil on top. Add the reserved raw green bell peppers on top. Increase heat to high to create steam. Reduce heat to low. Cover the wok and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Without covering, leave it for 1 minute. Now cover and leave it for 5 minutes. Mix the biryani gently to combine all layers.

Step 6: Serve

Take out the Chinese Chicken Biryani into a serving dish. Serve hot.

• Adding a little milk to the eggs makes them fluffy.

• Adding vinegar and oil to the rice water helps the rice boil very well.

• For Sella rice, soak for 2 hours instead of 40 minutes.

• When cooking vegetables and chicken, do not dry up all the water.

• Adding raw green bell peppers at the end gives a nice taste.

• Chinese fried rice can be bland, so adjust soy sauce and hot chili sauce to your liking.

• Chicken powder or MSG are optional ingredients.