A step by step for the absolute beginner wanting to make a Hyderabadi chicken biryani over a stove-top.
layers of rice and chicken marinated in Indian spices makes a one of a kind dish for all festivities.
We are making chicken biryani, and that too the most flavorful, Hyderabadi version.
You might feel intimidated with a glance at the list of ingredients needed but I promise, once you go through it, you’ll realize that most of the Indian spices mentioned here serve well on other dishes as well(if you love Indian cuisine).
So you probably might have most of the spices with you.
Making a tasty biryani can be a game changer when you need to feed a crowd or a big family.
Why?
Because you can invest all your time creating this one dish and serve it with a salad and yogurt raita, that’ s all you need unless you want to add more to the menu.
My only advice is to make the biryani a few times and you’ll be confident enough to make for a crowd in no time.
Utensils and appliances needed.
Large bowl to marinate chicken.
Frying pan.
colander and a pan to hold it.
Foil.
Large heavy-bottomed pan with a tight lid to assemble the biryani.
Workflow to make this chicken biryani.
Have all the ingredients ready.
Prepare the biryani marinade for the chicken.
Prepare the Saffron milk at the beginning.
Frying the onions.
Undercook the basmati rice.
Assemble the chicken biryani in a large pot and steam cook.
Beginner’s tips to make a Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani.
If this is your first time making biryani, I would highly suggest cutting all the ingredients in half and making a smaller portion
For example, use 500g of chicken for 1 and 1/2 cup basmati rice. all other ingredients can be reduced by half.
Read the instructions on the basmati package on how long you need to cook the rice, it varies to type and brand.
Choose the best Saffron, it’s expensive but you need only a few strands.
The basmati rice will be cooked twice so it’s important that you undercook the rice on the first turn.
What type of rice should I use for the biryani?
Always use good quality basmati, personally, I’ve always loved India gate basmati rice.
I’ve not seen this brand available in Sri Lanka, so I choose a different quality basmati rice.
What is the ideal amount of chicken to rice ratio for a biryani?
I would recommend 1:1, rice and chicken with a few extra chunks of meat thrown in.
For example, 1 kg rice will need 1kg chicken and 4-5 extra pieces.
How much rice would I need for 5 adults?
This is extra information because any type of biryani always serves a large crowd. So the general idea is 1 kg rice for 5 full-grown adults.
How to make chicken biryani (Hyderabadi).
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
1 kg whole chicken cut into pieces(you can also use a mix of thighs, breasts to make it)
3 cups of premium Basmati rice
1 cup fresh milk
5 large onions sliced fine
3 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
Salt to season
1 cup of fresh mint leaves chopped
1 and 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 green chillies chopped fine
2 cups of yogurt
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
7 cloves
3 bay leaves
2-star anise
7 cardamoms
1 cinnamon piece(2 inches)
Good quality Saffron 8-10 strands
1/4 cup ghee used as needed
1/2 cup raisins(for garnish)
1/2 cup cashew nuts(for garnish)
Method
Since there are quite a few spices, have all the ingredients bought a day before(advice for beginners).
Marinating the chicken.
Start marinating the chicken 4-5 hours early or marinate it overnight, personally, I would recommend the overnight marination.
Use a large bowl that can fit into the refrigerator for the chicken.
Wash, remove excess fat off the chicken pieces and make deep cuts on the chicken(not applicable for boneless chicken).
To the bowl, add yogurt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, green chilli, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, season with salt and combine.
Before you add the chicken parts to this marinade, taste and make sure you really taste the salt and lime flavors coming through, add more if necessary.
Add the chicken parts to the marinade and combine well for at least 2 minutes.
Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator. either marinate for 5-6 hours or do an overnight marination,
Preparing the Saffron(at the time of cooking).
Warm the milk for 20 seconds in the microwave, add the saffron strands to the milk, cover and leave it to soak.
Frying the onions for the biryani.
Slice all the onions fine.
Have a separate bowl layered with kitchen paper towels
Pour 1/2 cup of oil into a deep frying pan, bring the oil to medium heat, making sure it doesn’t reach a smoking point.
In small batches fry the onions until they reach a golden color and somewhat crispy(not too fried or burnt).
Fry the onions in small batches and place them on the paper towel to absorb extra oil.
keep in mind, you will need onions to combine with the chicken as well as layering and final garnish. separate three portions accordingly.
Cooking Basmati rice for the biryani.
While you prepare the rice, make sure to take out the chicken so it has adequate time to reach room temperature, set aside until used.
Rinse the basmati three times, pour 1 and 1/2 cup of water to the washed rice and soak for 20 minutes(if mentioned, refer to rice packaging for soaking time).
To cook the rice, I would recommend using a large pan, this pan should also be not too big that you can’t carry and drain boiling water.
Place the pan over the stove and pour in 7-8 cups of water, bring the water to boil over medium-high heat.
Halfway through the water boiling process, add the cloves, bay leaf, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, salt to season and 2 tablespoons of oil.
While the rice boils, have a pan and colander(make sure the colander or large strainer is big enough to hold all that rice. set these in your sink.
Here’s where it gets a bit tricky.
Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium(you’ll notice the large bubbles at this point), gently add the washed rice and cook with an open lid for 10-12 minutes.
The idea is to cook the grains that is just undercooked, the grains should still have a bite to it(al dente if you will in pasta terms).
Once you reach 7-8 minutes of cooking time, scoop a bit of the basmati rice, it shouldn’t be soft but slightly hard and grainy when you crush between fingers.
To stop the rice overcooking and ending soggy at the end, immediately transfer the rice into the colander to drain excess water.
Cooking the Hyderabadi chicken biryani.
Use a large pan with a tight lid that has enough space to spread the chicken without crowding(use a non-stick pan if possible but if not that’s fine as well, a bit of seared chicken would add more flavor).
Pour in the ghee, then add the chicken, half of the coriander-mint leaves and the first portion of the fried onions, combine and spread these ingredients, including the chicken in the bottom without crowding.
Once the chicken layer is done, spread the undercooked rice as the second layer, with the remaining fried onions, coriander-mint leaves and finally pour in the saffron milk, 2 spoons of ghee.
Tightly cover the pan mouth with foil, tucking the edges to the pan mouth then place the lid, making sure there’s no opening for any steam to escape.
Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. then reduce fire to low and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Turn off the fire, leave it for a further 10 minutes without removing the foil or lid.
Finally, remove foil, and lid, garnish with any remaining coriander, onions, a few toasted cashews, raisins and serve.
make sure to dig deep with a spoon to scoop out the chicken at the time of serving.
Have you made this recipe?
Please don’t forget to rate the recipe on the recipe card so other readers find it helpful and show me your recipe by tagging me #islandsmile178 on Instagram.
chicken biryani(hyderabadi).
A STEP BY STEP FOR THE ABSOLUTE BEGINNER WANTING TO MAKE A HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI OVER A STOVE-TOP.
LAYERS OF RICE AND CHICKEN MARINATED IN INDIAN SPICES MAKES A ONE OF A KIND DISH FOR ALL FESTIVITIES.
Ingredients
- Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
- 1 kg whole chicken cut into pieces(you can also use a mix of thighs, breasts to make it)
- 3 cups of premium Basmati rice
- 1 cup fresh milk
- 5 large onions sliced fine
- 3 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- Salt to season
- 1 cup of fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 and 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 green chillies chopped fine
- 2 cups of yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 7 cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 2-star anise
- 7 cardamoms
- 1 cinnamon piece(2 inches)
- Good quality Saffron 8-10 strands
- 1/4 cup ghee used as needed
- 1/2 cup raisins(for garnish)
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts(for garnish)
Instructions
- Since there are quite a few spices, have all the ingredients bought a day before(advice for beginners).
Marinating the chicken.
- Start marinating the chicken 4-5 hours early or marinate it overnight, personally, I would recommend the overnight marination.
- Use a large bowl that can fit into the refrigerator for the chicken.
- Wash, remove excess fat off the chicken pieces and make deep cuts on the chicken(not applicable for boneless chicken).
- To the bowl, add yogurt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, green chilli, lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, season with salt and combine.
- Before you add the chicken parts to this marinade, taste and make sure you really taste the salt and lime flavors coming through, add more if necessary.
- Add the chicken parts to the marinade and combine well for at least 2 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator. either marinate for 5-6 hours or do an overnight marination,
Preparing the Saffron(at the time of cooking).
- Warm the milk for 20 seconds in the microwave, add the saffron strands to the milk, cover and leave it to soak.
Frying the onions for the biryani.
- Slice all the onions fine.
- Have a separate bowl layered with kitchen paper towels
- Pour 1/2 cup of oil into a deep frying pan, bring the oil to medium heat, making sure it doesn’t reach a smoking point.
- In small batches fry the onions until they reach a golden color and somewhat crispy(not too fried or burnt).
- Fry the onions in small batches and place them on the paper towel to absorb extra oil.
- keep in mind, you will need onions to combine with the chicken as well as layering and final garnish. separate three portions accordingly.
Cooking Basmati rice for the biryani.
- While you prepare the rice, make sure to take out the chicken so it has adequate time to reach room temperature, set aside until used.
- Rinse the basmati three times, pour 1 and 1/2 cup of water to the washed rice and soak for 20 minutes(if mentioned, refer to rice packaging for soaking time).
- To cook the rice, I would recommend using a large pan, this pan should also be not too big that you can’t carry and drain boiling water.
- Place the pan over the stove and pour in 7-8 cups of water, bring the water to boil over medium-high heat.
- Halfway through the water boiling process, add the cloves, bay leaf, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, salt to season and 2 tablespoons of oil.
- While the rice boils, have a pan and colander(make sure the colander or large strainer is big enough to hold all that rice. set these in your sink.
Here’s where it gets a bit tricky.
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium(you’ll notice the large bubbles at this point), gently add the washed rice and cook with an open lid for 10-12 minutes.
- The idea is to cook the grains that is just undercooked, the grains should still have a bite to it(al dente if you will in pasta terms).
- Once you reach 7-8 minutes of cooking time, scoop a bit of the basmati rice, it shouldn’t be soft but slightly hard and grainy when you crush between fingers.
- To stop the rice overcooking and ending soggy at the end, immediately transfer the rice into the colander to drain excess water.
Cooking the Hyderabadi chicken biryani.
- Use a large pan with a tight lid that has enough space to spread the chicken without crowding(use a non-stick pan if possible but if not that’s fine as well, a bit of seared chicken would add more flavor).
- Pour in the ghee, then add the chicken, half of the coriander-mint leaves and the first portion of the fried onions, combine and spread these ingredients, including the chicken in the bottom without crowding.
- Once the chicken layer is done, spread the undercooked rice as the second layer, with the remaining fried onions, coriander-mint leaves and finally pour in the saffron milk, 2 spoons of ghee.
- Tightly cover the pan mouth with foil, tucking the edges to the pan mouth then place the lid, making sure there’s no opening for any steam to escape.
- Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. then reduce fire to low and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Turn off the fire, leave it for a further 10 minutes without removing the foil or lid.
- Finally, remove foil, and lid, garnish with any remaining coriander, onions, a few toasted cashews, raisins and serve.
- Make sure to dig deep with a spoon to scoop out the chicken at the time of serving.
Betty
Tuesday 15th of January 2019
6.While the rice boils, have a pan and colander(make sure the colander or large strainer is big enough to hold all that rice. set these in your sink.
Here’s where it gets a bit tricky.
1. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium(you’ll notice the large bubbles at this point), gently add the drained rice and cook with an open lid for 10-12 minutes.
For the sake of clarity, should these 2 steps be reversed. It reads like you are boiling the rice before it's added to the water. A picky point, I know but I had to read it a few times before I figured it out.
jehan
Wednesday 16th of January 2019
Thanks Betty, I should word the recipe better for a clear understanding.
But no, the two steps do not need to be reversed. I usually keep the colander in the sink ready so that I won't be making a mad dash to set it up while keeping an eye on the rice for it to reach the right consistency(in this case undercooked). So I set up the colander and then once the water boils you add the "drained rice". If the confusion comes from"drained rice" remember the first step of the recipe is to wash the basmati, then soak it and then drain it(which is the drained rice I was referring to).
But you are correct, there might be confusion when reading this way, I will amend the recipe instruction so the details are much clearer. Thank you for pointing out the mistake from a readers point of view, much appreciated.