If you are a chicken biryani lover and give a try to various versions, then I am pretty sure this version of Hyderabadi chicken biryani is going to be your most favourite one. There are Two types of Hyderabadi biryani. One is Pakki Biryani in which both cooked chicken and rice are set in layers with birista and nuts. The other one is Kachchi Biryani ( कच्ची बिरयानी) In this version curd marinated chicken is cooked together with partially cooked rice adding a few aromatics in one pot at dum or giving steam at very low flame
There are more than one reasons to make this biryani your favourite. The marinated chicken in curd and a few aromatics keeps it juicy from inside. Fried onions or birista gives it a smoky flavour and long grain basmati rice gives it a distinct fragrance. Trust me all these characters can’t endure you to indulge into divinly fragrant and juicy Kachchi Chicken Biryani. In this one pot biryani you can enjoy all the flavours which come in layers to hit your taste buds
Prep time – 3-4 hrs
Cook time – 15-20 min
Resting time(at dum/steam) – 10 min
Cuisine – Hyderabad
Course – Main
Author – Bharti Dhawan
Ingredients for marination the chicken
• Boneless chicken (chicken breast) 500 gms
• Whisked curd – 300 gms
• Ginger+garlic+ green chilly paste – 1 tbsp
• Onion julians – 1 big cup(3-4 big sized)
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 tsp
• Garam masala(a spice mix of cumin+ cinnamon+small and big cardaoms + cloves +mace+nutmeg+black pepper+star enese) – 2-3 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
Ingredients For Rice
• Long grain basmati rice – 1 cup/200 gms
• Water – 4-5 cups
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Cinamon stick – 1 no
• Star enese spice- 2 nos
• Green cardamom – 2 nos
Ingredients for final dish
• Partially Cooked rice
• Marinated chicken
• Ghee – 2-3 tbsp
• Mint leaves – 5-6 springs
• Tej patta/bay leaves – 5-6
• Some kesar/saffron strands disolved in 1/2 cup of milk
- If saffron strands are not available, a pinch of saffron food colour can be used
Direction for marination of chicken
1- Firstly to cook birista or the fried brown onions. Take a pan and add oil. When heated add onion julians. Fry dark brown at low flame by stirring continuously. When fried, transfer the birista to another bowl for later use
2- Rinse and make the cubes of chicken breast about 2/2″ size
3- Add salt, ginger-garlic paste, half quantity of fried onions, salt and all the spices to the curd and mix well. Add chicken cubes and coat well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes and maximum for 4 hrs
4- Add water, rice, salt and all the spices mentioned above under rice and keep for boiling. When rice is cooked 30 % drain the water and keep the rice aside
Directions For Final Dish
Take an open and broad pan. Set a layer of bay leaves at the bottom. Drop some ghee over the bay leaves
- Bay leaves will prevent the chicken from burning and will help to absorb the aromas of this spiced leaf
Next, set marinated chicken as a second layer. Drop some ghee all over it.
Spread some fried brown onions as a third layer
Now, spread some mint leaves with their springs all over for freshness and flavours
Set parboiled rice as a fourth layer. Drop some ghee all over. Next, spread some fried onions as the next layer
Sprinkle the saffron or saffron colour infused milk and ghee all over with a spoon. Spread more fried onions, spice mix and mint leaves over the rice
Cover the pan tightly and keep it over very low heat for next 20 minutes
Switch off the flame and let the biryani covered for 10 minutes at dum or in it’s steam
Serve the tasty chicken biryani/ चिकन बिरयानी with curd or raita
