Biryani is the crown jewel of Indian cooking — a celebration dish that fills the house with the scent of saffron, ghee, and whole spices. This recipe is designed for the home cook AND the cloud kitchen operator, with notes on scaling for bulk prep.
Chicken Biryani
A rich and aromatic one-pot chicken biryani with fragrant basmati rice, tender chicken, and warming Indian spices. Perfect for family gatherings or a special weekend meal.
Ingredients
Method
Marinate the Chicken
- Mix yogurt, biryani masala, red chili powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and oil in a large bowl.
- Add chicken pieces and coat well. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge for best results.
Par-Cook the Rice
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and salt.
- Add soaked and drained basmati rice. Cook until 70% done — the grain should still have a slight bite. Drain and set aside.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add marinated chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes until chicken is 80% done and masala is thick.
Dum (Steam) the Biryani
- Layer par-cooked rice over the chicken in the pot. Top with fried onions, mint, coriander, saffron milk, and drizzle with ghee.
- Seal the pot tightly with a lid (or foil). Cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce to the lowest flame and cook on dum for 20–25 minutes.
- Switch off heat and let rest for 10 minutes before opening.
- Gently mix the layers from the bottom and serve hot with raita and salad.
Notes
For cloud kitchen prep: marinate chicken overnight and par-cook rice in bulk. Assemble and dum just before service.
Substitute ghee with oil for a lighter version.
For extra flavour, add a tablespoon of rose water with the saffron milk.