Best and Easy Chicken Biryani
This is probably the easiest no-hassle biryani I have ever made. You can use either chicken with bones or boneless. My personal preference is for chicken with bones. But since my family prefers boneless, I usually use boneless chicken. It is easier to eat that way. If I am in a rush, I sometimes skip the ginger and garlic and the biryani tastes just as good as it does with it.
Please don’t skimp on the mint. Mint gives the biryani a refreshing flavor. I also add generous amounts of ghee and some cashew-nuts to the rice. Besides, ghee, nuts, and saffron give this biryani a royal taste. You may alter the quantities of spices to your liking and your tolerance for heat. I usually like to pair the biryani with a mint and onion raita, a recipe for which will be posted soon. It helps balance the spice levels and tone down the heat.
You can do the prep-work a day in advance. Since the actual cooking time is only about a half hour, this simple recipe can make a weeknight dinner into a special celebration.
You can make the biryani with different meats or make a meatless version. I will link those recipes once I upload them.
A brief history
The exact origin of the chicken biryani is unknown but it is said that it was first created when the Taj Mahal was being built in India. Biryani was cooked in large pots with all the ingredients added to huge pots – meat, rice, and spices. It was a one-pot dish created to feed the thousands of workers who built the great Taj. Over the years, the basic recipe has been developed to create different versions. Each region adds its own native spices and variations to the basic biryani recipe. However, the recipes from Hyderabad and Lucknow remain very popular. Some of the best recipes are passed down through generations and are well-guarded treasures.
Easy Breezy Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Marination
- 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 10 green chillies chopped
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 5-6 cloves grated garlic
- 1 inch grated ginger
- 1 lemon
- salt
- 1/4 cup fried onions
Dry spices for powdering
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 2 mace
- 1-2 sticks cinnamon
- 20 peppercorns
- 10 cloves
- 1 tsp shahi jeera
- 7-8 pods cardamom
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups water
Whole spices
- 5-6 pods cardamom
- 5-6 cloves
- 2 pieces cinnamon
- 2 star anise
- 2 mace
- 2 bay leaf
- 10-15 peppercorns
- 1 tsp shahi jeera
- salt
- 1/4 cup chopped mint and cilantro
- 1/4 cup fried onions
- 10 strands saffron
- 1/4 cup milk
- dough for sealing
- 20 cashewnuts
Instructions
- Cut chicken in large pieces.
- Add freshly ground bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, shahi jeera, star anise, mace, and peppercorns to the chicken.
- Add yogurt, mint leaves, cilantro, green chillies, grated ginger and garlic, and fried onions.
- Squeeze the juice out of a lemon in the marinade.
- Add salt to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate the marinated chicken overnight or at least for four hours.
- Let some water boil in a pot.
- Add the whole dry spices and salt when the water comes to a boil.
- Add rice and cook it for 10-12 minutes.
- In another pan, add some oil and arrange the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer.
- Layer the rice on top of the chicken.
- Sprinkle mint and cilantro on top of the rice.
- Spread some saffron soaked in milk on top.
- Sprinkle some cashew nuts and fried onions.
- Spread some ghee for a rich flavor.
- Cover the lid and seal the pan with dough.
- Cook on high flame for 5 minutes.
- Lower the flame and place a griddle on the flame, put the sealed pan on the griddle and let cook for 30 minutes.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before opening the pan.
- Enjoy a deliciously rich, yet easy chicken biryani.
Notes
DISCLAIMER:
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only. Actual numbers may be different from those provided below. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Happy Feeding and Eating!
A perfect Briyani Recipe for upcoming weekends during Christmas.