Perfect Chicken Biryani – Restaurant Style

Step 1: Prepare Ginger Garlic Paste

Combine chopped ginger, garlic cloves, and optionally a green chili in a blender jar. Add 1/3 cup of water and blend until a smooth paste is formed. If the paste is not fine enough, add a little more water and blend again.

Step 2: Prepare Chicken Marinade

In a bowl, combine plain unflavored yogurt, Kashmiri red chili powder (1.5 tbsp), turmeric powder (1 tsp), ground coriander (1 tbsp), Shan Biryani Masala (2 tbsp), salt (1 tsp), and cooking oil (1 tbsp). Whisk until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth. Add the chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks with bones, large pieces) to the yogurt-spice mixture. Add chopped coriander leaves (1/4 cup) and torn mint leaves (1/4 cup). Mix everything thoroughly by hand, ensuring the chicken is well coated. Add the prepared ginger garlic paste to the chicken and mix again. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3: Prepare Onions for Frying

Thinly slice two large onions. Add 1 tsp of salt to the sliced onions and mix well. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out moisture. After resting, squeeze out as much water as possible from the onions before frying.

Step 4: Prepare Saffron Milk and Food Color

Crush a few strands of saffron in a mortar. Add the crushed saffron to 1/4 cup of warm milk along with 2 tsp of Kewra water (or rose water/Kewra essence drops). Stir to combine. In a separate small bowl, mix a pinch of yellow food color and a pinch of red/orange food color with 2 tbsp of water. Stir until dissolved. (Note: Food color is optional).

Step 5: Prepare Basmati Rice

Take 4 cups of good quality basmati rice. Rinse the rice several times under running water, gently rubbing the grains, until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for exactly 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain all the water from the rice.

Step 6: Fry Onions

Heat 1/2 cup of cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed, wide pot over medium heat. The oil should be warm, not too hot. Add the squeezed sliced onions to the warm oil. Stir the onions on medium-high heat. As the edges of the onions start to brown, lower the heat to medium and stir continuously. Continue frying until the onions turn a beautiful golden-brown color. Do not let them turn dark chocolatey brown, as they will become bitter. Switch off the heat and immediately remove the browned onions from the pot, squeezing out excess oil. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels and gently loosen them with a fork. Press lightly with another paper towel to absorb more excess oil.

Step 7: Cook Chicken Curry

Place the pot with the remaining oil (from frying onions) back on medium heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pot, scraping all the marinade from the bowl. Add 2 bay leaves. Stir the chicken on medium heat until the juices come up to a boil. Then, increase the heat to high and stir frequently for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the raw halved potatoes to the chicken. Add half of the browned onions to the pot and stir. Sprinkle 1 tsp of garam masala powder. Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 8: Boil Basmati Rice

While the chicken is simmering, take a large pot of water for cooking the rice. Add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) from the tea strainer, 1 heaped tsp of Shahi Jeera (optional), and 2 dried bay leaves to the water. Put the lid on and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil and 1 tbsp of vinegar to the water. Remove the tea strainer. Add the drained basmati rice to the boiling water. Add about 1 tbsp of salt. Keep the heat high initially. Once the water starts bubbling up, lower the heat to medium. Stir gently from time to time. Start tasting the rice frequently. The rice needs to be 70% cooked (it should be slightly chewy when tasted, but not hard). This usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Once the rice is 70% cooked, switch off the heat and immediately drain the rice. Discard the bay leaves. Gently spread out the cooked rice with a fork to prevent sticking.

Step 9: Layer and Dum Cook Biryani

After 20 minutes, check the chicken curry. The potatoes should be soft, and the chicken perfectly cooked. Skim off any excess oil from the top of the chicken curry (this oil will be used later). Add a little of the remaining browned onions over the chicken curry. Loosely scatter half of the cooked rice on top of the chicken. Gently spread it evenly. Add half of the remaining chopped coriander and mint leaves over the rice. Add the rest of the cooked rice, spreading it evenly. Add the remaining chopped coriander and mint leaves. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the Shan Biryani Masala powder over the rice. Drizzle the saffron milk (mixed with Kewra water) over the rice. Add whole green chilies (optional). Drizzle the skimmed-off curry oil over the rice. Make small holes on the surface of the rice and add the prepared food color into these holes. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Add the rest of the browned onions on top. Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot (you can also cover with aluminum foil before putting the lid for a tighter seal). Place a flame tamer (tawa or flat metal pan) on the burner. Place the biryani pot on top of the flame tamer. Cook on high heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook for another 15 minutes. This method is known as 'dum cooking'.

Step 10: Rest and Serve Biryani

After 15 minutes of dum cooking on low heat, switch off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Allow the biryani to rest for at least 30 minutes without opening the lid. This allows the residual heat to fluff up the rice perfectly. After resting, open the lid. Take a flat spoon and gently loosen the rice from the top, slowly working your way down to mix the chicken and rice. Serve hot on a plate. You can de-bone the chicken before serving if preferred.

Step 11: Prepare Quick Raita

Roast 1 tsp of cumin seeds in a small pan on low heat until fragrant. Remove from heat and coarsely grind the roasted cumin seeds. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of yogurt, the crushed cumin, 1/2 tsp of chaat masala, 1 tsp of sugar, 1/4 tsp of salt, a pinch of crushed black pepper, and 1 tbsp of chopped coriander. Mix until smooth. Serve with biryani.

• Always use fresh ginger garlic paste for best flavor.

• Use chicken with bones and large pieces for biryani; avoid boneless chicken.

• Adjust chili powder according to your spice preference, as biryani masala also contains chili.

• To prevent rice from sticking, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp vinegar to the boiling water.

• Use a heavy-bottomed, wide pot for cooking biryani to allow rice to fluff up and prevent mushiness.

• Salt sliced onions and let them sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out moisture, which helps them brown faster and more evenly.

• Do not overheat oil when frying onions; start with warm oil and then increase heat to medium, stirring continuously.

• Do not over-brown onions; remove them when they reach a beautiful golden-brown color to avoid bitterness.

• Wash basmati rice thoroughly until the water runs clear to remove surface starch and prevent sticky rice.

• Soak basmati rice for exactly 30 minutes to prevent grains from breaking during cooking.

• Season the rice water well; it should taste slightly salty as excess salt will be drained.

• Cook rice to 70% doneness (slightly chewy but not hard) before layering, as it will continue to cook during dum.

• Handle cooked rice gently with a flat spoon or fork to avoid breaking the grains.

• Do not lift the lid during the 30-minute resting period after dum cooking; this allows residual heat to fluff up the rice perfectly.

• You can use Shan Bombay Biryani Masala if you prefer a spicier biryani.

• If you don't have a tea strainer, you can put whole spices in a cheesecloth pouch for cooking rice.

• Rose water can be used instead of Kewra water for fragrance.

• Potatoes can be omitted if you prefer not to include them in your biryani.

• Food color is optional and can be omitted for a more natural look.

• Chicken can be de-boned before serving if preferred by your guests.

• Dum cooking can be done in an oven on a very low heat setting after the initial stovetop high-heat phase.