pakistani chicken biryani

A traditional spicy Karachi Chicken Biryani, made with layering spicy chicken curry with rice.

Pakistani Chicken Biryani

chicken

garlic ginger paste

tomatoes cut into 4 slices (or 1 cup of canned tomatoes)

green chilies

mint leaves

plums

onions

chicken bouillon cube (optional)

salt

tsp red chili powder

tbsp kashmiri red chili powder

cumin powder

coriander powder

turmeric powder

tsp garam masala powder

tbsp kewra water

yogurt

tsp mace and nutmeg powder (optional (jayfil javetri))

water

kg long grain basmati rice

bay leaves

whole spices: 10 black peppercorns

tbsp vinegar

tbsp salt

milk

tomato

coriander leaves

brown fried onions

maze

nutmeg

Blend the green chilies with the yogurt to form a smooth paste and set aside.

Add oil in a pot along with sliced onion and mint leaves. Fry them at medium flame till the onions turn golden brown. Reduce the flame to low and remove roughly about 1/2 cup of brown onions for garnish.

Add 1/4th cup of water in the onions to stop frying. Add all the spices (except nutmeg and mace powder) and tomatoes. Saute for a minute and add 3/4th cup of water and cover the pot to allow the tomatoes soften up for 5 mins.

Use a hand blender to blend the tomatoes and onions together.

Now add the chicken, garlic ginger paste, dried plums, chicken cube and the yogurt chili mix. Mix everything well.

Cover the pot and let the qorma simmer for 15 to 20 mins at medium to low flame.

Remove the lid and check if the chicken is cooked. Turn off flame and add kewra water and mace nutmeg powder and simply mix.

You can also remove extra oil at this point if your want

Chicken Qorma

In a large pot, boil water for the rice at high flame. Add all whole spices, vinegar, salt and bay leaves.

Once the water starts bubbling, add in the pre-soaked basmati rice.

Boil the rice for 5 mins and check a grain of rice. You should be able to break the grain of rice with fingers but the grain should still be hard and in-edible. That's the perfect rice for Biryani layering.

Strain the rice in a large strainer and set aside for layer.

Rice

Use a large pot for assembling the rice. Usually this is the pot used to boil the rice.

Add 1/3 of the rice to layer the bottom of the pot.

Garnish the rice with mint, chopped coriander, slices of tomatoes, 1 green chili. Sprinkle a little maze nutmeg powder.

Add 1/2 of the chicken qorma on the rice spreading it out as evenly as possible.

Add another 1/3 of the rice on top of qorma

Repeat same garnish.

Layer with the remaining chicken qorma

Finish off with the remaining rice.

Drizzle the rice with milk and color mix in the form of a cross.

Garnish the top layer as well, this time including fried onions as well.

Cover the pot with foil and then add the lid to make a strong seal.

Place an insulator below the pot on the stove, like an old pan, a tawa or a a flat griddle pan.

Turn on the flame at high for 5 to 6 mins, then reduce to medium low for another 10 mins.

Remove the lid and open the foil slightly to check if you can see steam (be careful to not burn yourself. If you can see steam, that means your biryani is done. Cover the foil again and place the lid back on. Let the biryani rest for another 10 mins before serving.

If you don't see steam, increase the flame for 2 to 3 mins.

Serve with raita and salad.

Assembling

An uncomplicated yet authentic Chicken Biryani recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions (no curveballs!) and mouthwatering, traditional Pakistani and Indian flavor. Tested to perfection!

Pakistani Chicken Biryani (The BEST!)

bone-in,

plain whole milk yogurt

neutral oil

tbsp biryani masala (recipe in post) (or sub store-bought biryani masala)

1/2-1 tsp red chili powder

tsp nutmeg powder

sugar

tsp kosher salt (start

dried bay leaves ((tez patta))

((loung))

black cardamoms ((badi elaichi))

star anise ((badiyaan))

green cardamom pods ((elaichi))

cinnamon

tsp cumin seeds ((zeera))

tsp whole black peppercorns ((kaali mirch))

aged, long grain basmati rice

tbsp kosher salt

tbsp oil

lemon juice or vinegar

neutral oil (plus more as needed)

tbsp ghee (or sub butter)

garlic

1- inch ginger (crushed)

tomato (finely chopped)

green chili peppers (such

plums ((alu bukhara))

kosher salt

tsp garam masala (may omit

tsp red chili flakes (optional)

tsp kewra essence (depending on strength)

lemon juice

tsp chaat masala or garam masala

cilantro leaves (chopped)

mint leaves (chopped (or sub more cilantro))

tsp yellow/orange food coloring mixed with 1 tbsp milk

lemon (thinly sliced)

Cucumber/Vegetable Raita (or)

Cilantro/Mint Raita (Yogurt Chutney)

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the ingredients listed under ‘marinade’. Cover and set aside or refrigerate (ideally) up to overnight. When ready to use, allow the chicken to come to room temperature.

Thoroughly wash the rice and soak it in water. Set aside.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Add the oil, ghee, and onions and sauté until the onions are golden (~15-20 minutes). Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water. Once the water dries up, add the whole spices, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken with its marinade and sauté until it changes color (~2-3 minutes). Add the tomatoes, green chili pepper, and dried plum (alu bukhara) and stir to coat. Add ½ cup water (the water should cover about 1/3 of the chicken) and bring to a gentle boil.

Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer (this is low heat on my stovetop), cover, and allow the chicken to cook for 30 minutes, stirring midway. While the chicken is cooking, proceed to the next step. Turn off the heat once the chicken has cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Place a medium pot over high heat and bring 7 cups (1.75 quarts) of water to a boil (See Tip). Add salt, oil, and lemon juice/vinegar and stir. Once the water comes to a boil, drain and add the rice. Stir, and bring it back up to a boil. Once it comes to a boil again, boil for 5 minutes (no more than 5 minutes and 30 seconds), or until the rice is just cooked with a bite to it. It shouldn’t get mushy when pressed between your fingers. (See Note 1) Drain and set aside.

Uncover the chicken. Raise the heat to medium-high to sauté out any excess water for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, garam masala, and red chili flakes for more heat (if desired). The oil will have separated from the ‘masala’. Turn off the heat. Add kewra water and lemon juice and stir to combine.

If needed, lightly oil the bottom of a dutch oven or stock/soup pot. Layer half of the drained rice. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of the chaat/garam masala on top of the rice. Add in all the chicken, and top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tsp of chaat/garam masala. Drizzle in the colored milk and oil. (Optional: Sprinkle a pinch of food coloring directly for more variation in color.) Sprinkle the cilantro leaves and mint leaves, and arrange the lemon slices on top.

If your pan isn’t heavy bottomed, place a heat diffuser, flat griddle, or tava underneath the pan to diffuse the heat. Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth (or aluminum foil) and seal tightly. (See Note 2) Turn on the heat to medium and allow the biryani to develop steam for 4-5 minutes. You’ll be able to feel the steam starting to escape the sides. Then turn down to the lowest heat and allow it to cook in its steam (‘dum’) for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the biryani to rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Do not stir or mix. To serve, gently move on to platter with rice paddle or small plate. Serve hot with yogurt or raita.

Steaming (&#039;Dum&#039;)

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/29KYHm77.mp4

An authentic Chicken Biryani recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and mouthwatering, traditional Pakistani and Indian flavor. This recipe includes tips on how to get fluffy rice, tender chicken, and the distinct biryani taste. Tested to perfection!

Chicken Biryani (The Best!)

Top 2 pakistani chicken biryani recipes from across the web

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Pakistani Chicken Biryani

Pakistani Chicken Biryani (The BEST...

Top 2 pakistani chicken biryani recipes from across the web

The most viewed pakistani chicken biryani recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Pakistani Chicken Biryani

Pakistani Chicken Biryani (The BEST...

The most viewed pakistani chicken biryani recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine