Biryani is a celebration of all that is great about Indian food – the heady aromas, the vibrant colours, the fluffy rice and those addictive curry flavours. Make this Chicken Biryani with your protein of choice – or try a vegetable biryani!
Biryani recipe
One of the most requested recipes is finally here! Another RecipeTin Family effort, it took us seven attempts to get this biryani right.
Seven attempts means seven heated arguments about who would take the leftover biryani because somebody in the RecipeTin family, at any point in time, usually declares themselves to be on a diet to address blog-related weight gain concerns.
And it was worth it. (Belly and all.) Biryani, we can’t get enough of you!
What is Biryani and why do I love it so much?
Essentially, it’s your favourite chicken curry (or vegetable or other protein of choice) buried under a mound of delicately spiced fluffy rice, all made in one pot. The rice is steamed over a low heat so it absorbs the flavours of the curry bubbling away underneath.
So in a nutshell, it’s every curry loving-carb monsters’ dream come true. It’s got my name written all over it!
About this Biryani
You’ll find variations of Biryani all across the Indian subcontinent, from Pakistan to Bangladesh, Afghanistan to India. There are 2 main types – one where the protein and/or vegetables are cooked mixed throughout the rice, and the other version known as Hyderabad-style biryani in India where meat and rice are layered and cook in a sealed pot over fire. The latter is the style of biryani I’m sharing today.
There’s a wonderful Afghani restaurant in my area called Sahar (Newport, Sydney) which serves a Biryani that’s a huge favourite among locals. Hands down, the best ethnic restaurant I know in the upper northern beaches.
How to make Biryani
Chicken marinated in a spiced yoghurt is placed in a large pot, then layered with fried onions (cheeky easy sub below!), fresh coriander/cilantro, then par boiled lightly spiced rice.
The crowning glory is to finish it off with a drizzle of saffron infused water to give it the signature patches of bright yellow rice, as well as ghee (or melted butter) for buttery richness.
The pot is then covered and cooked over a low heat for about 25 minutes during which time the rice absorbs the aromas and flavours of the curry underneath, whilst still being beautifully fluffy.
That moment when you lift the lid and are greeted with this sight…
…. that moment is only second to this: when you dig deep into the pot, ensuring you get some of every layer, and the full force of the aroma from the curry buried deep under the rice hits you, and it takes every single bit of will power to gravitate that spoon towards a bowl instead of attempting to shove that entire giant scoop in your mouth….
OK wait. Did you almost lose control too?
I’m almost done. Bear with me – just want to show you a few more things before handing over the recipe!
Biryani spices
There’s subtle flavourings used for the rice, and a load more used for the curry sauce.
There’s a lengthy list but there’s nothing exotic here, you can find all these spices at everyday supermarkets here in Australia. Some recipes call for Asafoetida which is an Indian spice that requires a trip to an Indian grocer. We tried it with and without, and I swear we could not taste a difference. So we don’t use it. 🙂
Cheeky substitute for fried onions
Thin slices of onion fried until sweet and a bit crispy, this is used as one of the layers in the Biryani as well as a garnish for serving.
If you aren’t a fan of deep frying or are a beginner cook, my cheeky alternative is using store bought fried onion (Asian or Indian stores) or Asian Fried Shallots (pictured below) which are sold at everyday supermarkets. They add the same oniony flavour with the added bonus of extra crunch!
The roots of this recipe
Another recipe ticked off the Recipe Request list, another RecipeTin family effort!!
As always, we love to look to the pros to build a starting point for recipe inspiration. We ate biryani at our favourite specialty restaurants in Sydney, Pakistani chain Student Biryani in Auburn, and the Indian restaurant Paradise Biryani House in North Strathfield.
To learn the techniques, we looked at a few books (love the local library!), dozens of internet pages and Youtube videos from home cooks in India.
Yes the ingredients list is long – but you’ll find everything at the supermarket. And while there are a number of steps to make Biryani, it is actually quite a straightforward recipe. (Video is helpful too!)
And even if yours doesn’t turn out perfect, don’t be put off because even less than perfect biryani is still delicious (we happily scoffed the first few test batches despite the flaws!). – Nagi x
More great curries of the world!
Dal (Indian lentil curry)
Browse the Curry Collection
And serve on the side …
Give this Everyday Cabbage Salad an Indian spin by sauteing garlic and cumin seeds in oil before mixing up with other Dressing ingredients
No Yeast Easy Soft Flatbread. Perfect to use as naan!
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
- 750g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs , skin on, bone in, halved along bone (Note 1)
Marinade:
- 2/3 cup (150 ml) yoghurt , plain
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
- 6 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp garam marsala (Note 2)
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp paprika , sweet / ordinary (not smoked)
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
Par Boiled Rice:
- 2 tbsp salt
- 10 cloves
- 5 dried bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 6 green cardamon pods
- 2 1/4 cups (450g) uncooked basmati rice (Note 3)
Crispy Onions (Note 4):
- 2 medium onions (yellow, brown) , halved and finely sliced
- 1 cup (250 ml) oil , for frying
Saffron:
- 1 tsp saffron threads (loosely packed) (Note 5)
- 2 tbsp warm water
Biryani:
- 1 cup coriander / cilantro , chopped
- 1/4 cup (60g) ghee or unsalted butter , melted (Note 6)
Garnish:
- Crispy onions (above)
- Chopped coriander / cilantro
- Yoghurt (Note 7)
Instructions
- Mix Marinade in a large pot (about 26cm / 11″ diameter). Add chicken and coat well. Marinade 20 minutes to overnight.
Par Boiled Rice:
- Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts water to the boil, add salt and spices.
- Add rice, bring back up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked still a bit firm in the middle. Rice will taste salty at this stage, disappears in next stage of cooking.
- Drain immediately. Set aside. (Note 10 re: leaving whole spices in)
Crispy Onions:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook onion, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t burn – they become bitter.
- Remove onto paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining onion.
Saffron:
- Place in a bowl, leave for 10 minutes+.
Biryani:
- Place pot with chicken in it onto a stove over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid. Cook for 5 minutes, turning chicken twice.
- Remove from heat.
- Turn chicken so skin side is down – it should cover most of the base of the pot.
- Scatter over half the onion then half the coriander.
- Top with all the rice. Gently pat down and flatten surface.
- Drizzle saffron across rice surface in random pattern, then drizzle over ghee.
- Place lid on. Return to stove over medium heat.
- As soon as you see steam, turn down to low then cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove from stove, rest with lid on for 10 minutes.
To Serve:
- Aim to serve it so you get nice patches of yellow rice, white rice, the curry stained rice + chicken (rather than all mixed up). To do this, use a large spoon and dig deep into the pot, and try to scoop up as much as you can in one scoop.
- Turn out into bowl – or onto platter. Garnish with remaining onion and coriander with yoghurt on the side (see Note 7 for Minted Yoghurt)
Recipe Notes:
* Scaling recipe (click on servings and scale) – must scale pot size up/down
* Salt – yes you really need 2 tbsp salt to par boil the rice. The rice will taste salty at this stage but the salt comes out of the rice during the second stage of cooking. Trust me, you need that much salt in the water!
* Spiciness is mainly from cayenne, a bit from garam masala. So adjust to taste.
* Fresh spices – use fresh spices, not ones that have been sitting around in your pantry for years!
* Whole spices – the whole spices are typically left in the rice. They soften when cooked so to me it’s not a big deal, I’ve never found it off-putting. If you’re really concerned, either pick them out just before layering in the pot or wrap the spices in a small muslin or cheesecloth. 11. Storage – Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in microwave. As rice is not quite as moist with leftovers, best to serve with yoghurt (even plain is fine). Even freezing should be fine, haven’t tried it but rice and curry both freeze great so I see no reason why this wouldn’t freeze well. Make Ahead – These are the things that can be done ahead: Par Boil the rice up up to 24 hours ahead of using. Marinate the chicken and cook it per recipe up to the point before rice covers it up to 2 days ahead. OR leave the marinated chicken in the freezer for up to 48 hours. Make saffron water and onion. Then on the day of, assemble the biryani layers and cook per recipe!
Life of Dozer
This is how he spent most of today. (And yesterday. And the day before.)
mine turned out burned at the base : (
Sorry to hear that Tikka, sounds like you had the heat up a little too high! N x
Was so stunning! Would the recipe stay the same when using lamb? Or would you adjust spices?
Since emigrating from the UK 23 years ago it has been difficult finding good Indian food, so i tend to cook my own. This way i can make it as hot and spicy as i am used to in the UK. I tried your recipe and it turned out great it actually made enough for 6 meals. Thank you for a great recipe ..
Hi Nagi, I’ve made your biryani 4 times in the last two months as it’s so delicious. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!
Perfect. I have tried a few different biryani recipes and this if my favourite. It works every time and is easy
Hi Nagi, Ive made your Biryani so many times and its absolutley Devine. Can you marinade the chicken as in the recipe and then just cook on the BBQ and serve without making the rice portion ?
This recipe is a masterpiece – you make one of the most difficult to master, finicky dishes out there accessible and – important for me – foolproof!
I use all the subs for your vegetable biryani and it comes out perfect every time.
Thank you!
oh my word, I’m getting hungry making this! Smells so good!
I hope you enjoyed it Jacquie!!! N x
Hi Nagi, this was a real winner with me and my family who said ‘That’s a keeper’. Thank you so much!
Wow! Everyone loved it!
OMG, Ive tried and failed at biryaani before but today I got it right thanks to you!! My biryaani didnt taste like poo, yaaaaay!! So happy! Thank you and it was so easy to follow! X
What a great dish – so many layers of flavour. This is a favourite but be sure and leave yourself plenty of time! More marinating time makes a big difference!
Hi Nagi,
Your Biryani looks delicious!
Just a couple of tips…
Parboiling regular rice doesn’t yield the same texture than what Indians refer to as parboiled rice. Parboiled rice is partially boiled in the husk after soaking then dried. You can find this rice at Woolies, Coles or any Indian grocer.
For best results you should seek out special biryani rice at Indian grocers- it makes a world of difference.
Add mint to your herb layer- it really livens up the biryani!
Finally, finish off the dish with a hint of rosewater or pandan water.
Cooking in a dough sealed claypot yields the most exquisite flavour but if you don’t have this handy, using a cast iron Dutch oven will result in a similar flavour!
Keep these recipes coming- I love them!
Edit: Never mind what I wrote about par boiled rice, Nagi’s recipe is correct, biryani calls for regular parboiling but if you can find it, use Biryani rice- I personally love Daawat Biryani rice!
O.M.G.
Words fail me – just spectacular! I’ll up the spices a bit next time, which will be very soon!!!! Thanks Nagi x
Made this tonight and it was so good I felt like I couldn’t stop eating it! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I wish I was able to share it with even more people, I’ll definitely be making it again.
I just made this and I can honestly say it’s the best biryani I’ve had in my life! I’ve tried a few of your recipes but never commented before, you’re amazing! Thank you for sharing easy to follow delights!
I love the recipe, using it for some time now and is always delicious :)) But I was wondering if you could use natural brown rice or it won’t be that tasty? Thank You
Wahoo! That’s awesome to hear Marina!! N x
Wanting to make this tonight and wondering how long you marinated yours… I know longer is better and you have at least 20 minutes in your recipe so was just curious
Hi Elizabeth, the longer the better, I try to aim for overnight here! N x
If I’m cutting this in half, am I still using 3 litres of water for the rice? If so, won’t the spices be diluted? Thinking I should cut the water in half before the parboiling step?
This recipe is fantastic!
I’m Indian, from Bombay and now living in the US. I made this tonight and it was absolutely divine! It reminded me of my lazy Sunday biryani lunches from my favorite restaurant in Bombay. I will most certainly be making it again. I made some substitutions – skinless thighs, buttermilk instead of yoghurt and water in the marinade, and 1 tsp of cayenne. (We like our biryani SPICY!)
Add some kewra water over your finished dish- it’s yum!
If you can source it, add a hint of toasted dagad phool/kalpasi to your masala!
Nagi….This is fantabulous. I mean, come on—marinating in the pot itself!? Genius.
Reminds me of my middle eastern friends version. I added toasted almonds, sultanas and medium cooked eggs as they did. This is….delicious. I make it all the time.
I just made it w mushrooms, cauliflower, onions and added black rice to the basmati. Can’t get enough. Delish
This was amazing. Next time I’m going to put the pot in the oven when I put in the rice. Wish my kids would be open to trying. Such an easy dish for them to like.