Hyderabad Chicken Biryani Recipe

A Journey of Flavour – Hyderabad Chicken Biryani Recipe: Hyderabad Chicken Biryani is a world-famous Indian dish known for its rich flavor and aromatic spices. This recipe provides instructions for making Hyderabadi chicken biryani and here is a traditional recipe to prepare it at home:

Ingredients

For Marination:

• 1 kg chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon

For Rice:

• 3 cups Basmati rice
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste

For Biryani:

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3-4 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 1 cup fried onions (for garnish)
• 1/2 cup milk
• A pinch of saffron strands
• 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken:

1. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, salt, and lemon juice.
2. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.

Prepare the Rice:

1. Wash the Basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and salt.
3. Add the soaked rice and cook until it’s 70% cooked. Drain the water and set the rice aside.

Prepare the Biryani:

1. Heat ghee and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add caraway seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
3. Add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is sealed and starts to brown.
4. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken cook for 15-20 minutes or until it is cooked through.
5. Layer the partially cooked rice over the chicken. Sprinkle chopped mint, coriander leaves, fried onions, and slit green chilies on top.
6. Warm the milk slightly and add saffron strands to it. Pour this saffron milk over the rice.
7. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or seal it with aluminum foil and place the lid on top.
8. Cook on low heat (preferably on a tawa/griddle) for 20-25 minutes (Dum cooking) until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors meld together.

Serving:

1. Gently fluff up the rice and chicken layers, making sure not to break the rice grains.
2. Serve the Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani hot with raita, mirchi ka salan, Bread Halwa or any side dish of your choice.

Enjoy your flavorful and aromatic Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani!