# Chicken Biryani

A celebratory dish of layered protein and rice, cooked in its own steam, with a focus on vibrant flavors and communal dining.

- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 25 min
- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- red onions
- tomatoes
- diced onions
- slivers of green chilies
- basmati rice
- ghee
- bay leaf
- black cardamom
- green cardamom
- mace
- nutmeg
- cloves
- ginger garlic paste
- turmeric powder
- chili powder
- whole chicken (or chicken whole legs cut on the bone)
- whisked Greek yogurt
- salt
- cumin
- cinnamon sticks
- dried bay leaf
- butter
- cream
- saffron
- ginger juliennes
- fresh cilantro
- mint
- dough (flour, water, a little oil, and salt)

## Instructions

1. Slice red onions thinly for frying.
2. Fry the sliced red onions at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and crispy.
3. Chop tomatoes for the chicken curry base.
4. Dice onions for the chicken curry.
5. Slice green chilies lengthwise.
6. Wash basmati rice thoroughly to remove starch.
7. Soak the washed basmati rice for 30 minutes.
8. Add ghee to a pot for the chicken curry.
9. Add whole spices (bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, mace, nutmeg, cloves) to the ghee.
10. Add diced onions to the pot and cook until the color changes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
11. Add ginger garlic paste to the onions and cook until aromatic.
12. Stir in turmeric powder and chili powder.
13. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become mashy.
14. Add chicken (on the bone preferred) to the curry.
15. Stir in whisked full-fat Greek yogurt.
16. Season with salt.
17. Let the chicken curry cook on slow fire.
18. Boil water in a separate pot.
19. Add salt and ghee to the boiling water.
20. Add whole spices (cumin, mace, cinnamon sticks, dried bay leaf, cloves, green cardamom) to the boiling water to create a flavorful stock.
21. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the flavorful boiling water.
22. Cook the rice until it is 70-80% done, checking for a slight bite.
23. Prepare the jhol by combining equal amounts of butter and cream with saffron.
24. Ensure the saffron has infused its color and flavor into the jhol.
25. Add a layer of jhol to the bottom of a clay pot or Dutch oven to prevent sticking and provide moisture.
26. Add a layer of partially cooked rice over the jhol.
27. Sprinkle golden fried onions over the rice.
28. Add ginger juliennes and slit green chilies.
29. Sprinkle fresh cilantro and mint.
30. Arrange a layer of cooked chicken pieces.
31. Drizzle more jhol and some chicken gravy over the chicken layer.
32. Add another layer of rice.
33. Repeat layers with fried onions, ginger juliennes, slit green chilies, mint, and cilantro.
34. Add more gravy and top with a final layer of rice and a spoon of jhol.
35. Prepare a dough (flour, water, oil, salt) and line it around the rim of the pot.
36. Seal the pot with a lid, pressing it onto the dough to create an airtight seal for dum cooking.
37. Place the sealed pot in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes.
38. Remove the pot from the oven after 20-25 minutes.
39. Break the dough seal and open the pot.
40. Gently mix the biryani layers together before serving.

## Equipment

- pot
- oven
- clay pot
- Dutch oven

## Tips

- Cut onions thinly to ensure even frying at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes to remove starch and impurities, and aid in cooking.
- Cook chicken on the bone for better and stronger flavor.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt for body in the chicken curry.
- Multi-task by cooking chicken on slow heat while preparing rice.
- Boil rice in flavorful stock with whole spices for infused flavor.
- Cook rice to 70-80% doneness before dum cooking.
- Integrate saffron by using a medium of fat, dairy, or water to extract its flavor.
- Seal the pot with dough for dum cooking to trap steam and infuse flavors.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOUvvDTBdic
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/6b8ab44c-bc5e-49d8-8eec-7e30596cb1b5
- Extracted: 2025-12-19

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt