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 SUB FOR FRIED ONION
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
ON THE SIDE
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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.)
Sanjay Lobo says
Thanks for yummy biryany recipe .
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Sanjay! N x
Lil says
This taste amazing! Takes some effort but worth it. However, I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong because my rice is mushy every time. I have made it 3x now,
Nagi says
Hi Lil, sorry you’re having issues with the rice – what type of rice are you using? N x
Lil says
Hi Nagi,
I used Basmati. Wondering if I need to allow the rice and chicken to steam longer before reducing heat to simmer. Totally love your blog by the way. Love that you use every day ingredients to create deliciousness! Thank you!!
Alison says
The best recipe ever! Not a quick and easy meal but well worth the effort. A winner with the whole family and now my favourite meal.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it Alison!! N x
DANIEL CAPOLINGUA says
Wow Nagi. This was amazing! Thanks for stepping it out really well. Question: can the water strained from the rice be reused as some kind of broth? The salt, cardamin and star anise is so fragrant and full of flavor.
Nagi says
Hi Daniel! Glad you enjoyed it – I’m pretty fond of this myself! unfortunately the water is too starchy to repurpose. I wouldn’t even use it to cook more rice 🙂 N x
Sarah Faber says
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, THIS WAS SO, SO, SO GOOD!!!!!!!! First time making biryani, and your instructions were wonderfully clear. Thank you so much! Leftovers went FAST. Will absolutely make again.
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Sarah!
Shashank Verma says
My first attempt was flavorful and excellent; thanks for a well-presented recipe.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Shashank!
Dan Mack says
So delicious! Perfect combination of spices and heat. Other recipes I’ve tried use pre-made curry pastes which is convenient but only for lack of finding a recipe that provides me with a full list of spices. This is now my favourite and preferred recipe and method of making my favourite dish, Chicken Biryani! Thanks you!
Nagi says
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Dan! N x
Shali says
Loved it!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe it turned out great. I have always had bad experiences trying to cook indian but this recipe was easy to follow and the flavors were delicious!!
Nagi says
Perfect Shali, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Niki says
I’ve made this recipe several times and everytime…. ohhhhh! So damn tasty. Thank you for sharing!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it Niki!!
Rebecca says
Hi we made this for tea last night and followed the recipe throughout. The flavour was brill however we used breast instead of on the bone chicken and the bottom burnt. What are we doing wrong? everything else was fine…
Nagi says
Sounds like the heat may of been up a little too high Rebecca, try cooking over a slightly lower heat to prevent burning – N x
Joy says
Hi Nagi, made the biryani and the flavours were amazing, however I wanted to ask how I can get the end result to be more saucy. Looking at your video, your end result looked nice and saucey. Mine turned out quite dry. Still great but hoping to get a juicier biryani.
Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Joy – can I ask what type of rice you used? N x
Joy says
Hi Nagi, I used basmati rice. Normal white basmati rice.
Emily says
My husband said it was the best thing I’ve ever made. And my 18 month old devoured it too, asking for seconds and thirds! We’ll be fighting over the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Perfect recipe.
Nagi says
Woah what a great compliment, an 18 month old eating biryani is the best thing I’ve heard today!!!!
sherry says
Hi Nagi, you are a superstar. I’ve tried for years to nail the perfect Biryani and your recipe is hands down the most authentic recipe we have found. My husband thought he was in heaven eating it. Thank you Nagi.
Nagi says
WAHOO!!! I love hearing this Sherry!
Jools says
I made this for dinner today and it was devoured by my family (hubby, me and 2 kids, age 6 & 8). I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Nagi says
Winner winner!!!
Lori says
Oh my goodness! This was absolutely delicious!! I made this for supper last night after having to buy nearly all of the spices it called for (not my typical spice-cabinet spices) but man was worth it! I followed the step-by-step directions and was a little nervous during the 35 minutes while I couldn’t open the lid but everything turned out just perfect! One of my new favorites! Thanks for sharing!
Nagi says
It’s sooooo worth it Lori!!
Jax says
Hi Nagi. I haven’t tried this but really want to – the vegetable version, but when scaled down for 2 serves, how on earth do I measure such small amounts, i.e.. 0.03 tsp of ground turmeric? Help
Nagi says
Hi Jax, just use a pinch – I hope you love it!
Maria says
I have tried it at my home, my family loves it. Thanks for sharing amazing recipe.
Jovy says
I have not cooked an Indian food before and I’m going to brave cooking this Boxing Day for 16 guest following your recipe of biryani, I’m not a cook lover but I love the dish and your recipe instruction is clear and attractive.
Mootassem hassoun says
The rice fluffiness and spice balance was phenomenal. But I made a mistake, wanted to make it a bit healthier so I used skinless breast without reading your note on it. Needless to say the base was burnt, still the dish was very nice
Rachael says
Great recipe with simple instructions to follow. Really enjoyed cooking this and the finished result was absolutely delicious.