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Chicken Biryani

SUBMITTED BY: Nazia PHOTO BY: SummerRain

"This is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays such as Ramadan. It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it. For biryani, always use long grain rice. Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use. Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste."

SERVINGS

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Servings
 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks
  •  
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 pinch powdered saffron
  • 5 pods cardamom
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pound basmati rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
  2. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
  3. Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.
  4. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
  5. In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.
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REVIEWS

The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Nov. 24, 2004 by KHATTI
I haven't made thsi recipe, but I am an Indian and both my husband and I loovveee Biryani and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 0 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Aug. 1, 2004 by MDSGH
this recipe is absolute rubbish , excuse me but it is not biryani its more like a mixture of... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Dec. 10, 2006 by Jeannine
While this recipe is time consuming, it is well worth it! I made a couple changes, I added... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 28, 2003 by ROBBYN FRAZEE
My Brother-in-law is from Pakistan and I love their food so I was looking for recipes to fix... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 2 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 4, 2007 by SOLRAVR
This really isn't the best biryani recipe I've made, but it's fast for biryani so I thought... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 15, 2003 by RADHI_NAIR
Chicken Biryani is one of the more complicated rice dishes in Indian/pakistani cooking. Being... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 20, 2005 by WILLESDENGIRL
Wow!! This was amazing. I made it for a bunch of friends and made very few modifications. I... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 31, 2006 by sayali k
It was magnificent! the most delicious biryani i ever [made] and ate! it was perfect.... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jun. 4, 2003 by LG6191972