Chicken Biryani Hyderabadi Style Food

HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Heat oil at medium high in a wide frying pan. If you place your palm about 3 inches over the surface of oil, you should feel the heat. Or use a candy/fry thermometer.
• Fry onions in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Fry until crisp light golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken with all marinade ingredients and 1/3 of fried onions. Tip: Add yogurt, starting with 1/2 cup and increase as needed to 3/4 cup. The mixture should be thick and not runny.
• Grind biryani spices in a spice grinder. Add to chicken marinade and combine. Marinate for about 3 to 5 hours.
• Rinse rice 4 to 5 times in lots of water until it is clear. Drain well. Soak 1/3 cup basmati rice in water for one hour. Save the rest.
• Below is the rice cooker method. For alternative traditional cooking method check our lamb biryani recipe.
• Bring 2¼ cups of water to a rolling boil in a rice cooker. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons olive oil and whole spices (see note). Then add remaining 1⅔ cups basmati rice and stir. Let it cook just until all the water is absorbed (see notes).
• It is important to NOT let the rice steam until it is fully done. Just when all the water is well absorbed, transfer cooked rice immediately to another wide open pan. In my rice cooker the whole process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken with marinade to a 5-quart, wide, thick-bottomed and oven-proof cooking pot (9 to 10 inch diameter). Make sure there is not too much marinade around chicken pieces and that it is not runny.
• Scatter cilantro, mint, half the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken and marinade. Then scatter most of the fried onions.
• Drain the soaked basmati rice very well and spread it over the fried onion layer. (This raw soaked rice will get cooked with the juices from chicken).
• Next, layer all the cooked rice. Top with remaining lemon juice, saffron water, fried onions and ghee.Tip: If you prefer, you may pick out the whole spices from cooked rice before steaming.
• Oven Method: Place one sheet of parchment paper, followed by one to two sheets of aluminum foil over the cooking pot. Place the lid tight over it. Bake biryani in a preheated oven at 350ºF for one hour, until steam builds up well.
• Stove-Top Method (Alternative): Heat the biryani at medium high for about 10 to 15 minutes and then reduce to low and cook for one hour until steam builds up well.
• Remove from oven or stove. Let it cool five minutes and gently mix rice and chicken. Using a spatula, mound the biryani on a serving plate, making sure to present the rice in various colors - white, yellow, orange and brown. Place some chicken pieces on the top. Scatter fried onions, herbs and extra saffron rice on top.
• Serve it with mirchi ka salan or Hyderabadi tomato egg curry and raita.

HYDERABADI BIRYANI

Steps:

• Slice onion thinly, separate the layers and set aside.
• Heat 4 tbsps oil or ghee in a deep pan.
• Fry the onions stirring often until deep golden to brown.
• Do not burn else they turn bitter. Remove them from oil & set aside.
• Cool & pour this oil to the marinade later.
• Add yogurt, salt, turmeric, chili powder, biryani or garam masala powder, cardamom powder, green chilli, ginger garlic paste & lemon juice to a mixing bowl.
• Mix well & taste this. If needed add more salt or spice.
• Next add in chicken & marinate for 2 hours to overnight for best results.
• Overnight marination in fridge yields best soft succulent chicken.
• Wash rice till the water runs clear. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain & set aside.
• Heat 6 to 7 cups water in a pot. Add 1 tsp oil, whole spices & salt.
• Taste this. The water has to be slightly salty.
• Boil water rapidly for 5 mins to release the aroma of spices.
• Add rice & cook till it is ¾ or 75% done.
• The center of the rice must be still slightly uncooked.
• Do not make the rice mushy. Drain off to a colander.
• While the rice cooks, transfer marinated chicken to a heavy bottom casserole or non-stick pan.
• Add oil, ½ of the fried onions, mint & coriander leaves. Mix & spread chicken in a single even layer.
• Layer the cooked rice evenly, sprinkle fried onions, mint & coriander leaves over the chicken.
• Sprinkle ¼ tsp masala powder. Pour the saffron milk all over & then ghee.
• Cover the pot with a foil to trap the steam or dum. Then cover with a tight & heavy lid.
• Bake for 30 to 40 mins at 200 C in a preheated oven. The timings will slightly vary depending on the depth of the casserole/pot used. Once done, if the chicken is too moist then bake for another 10 mins.
• Place this over a thick hot griddle or tawa. Set the flame to medium high such that the flame reaches all over the diameter of the casserole. Cook this way for exactly 20 mins.
• Reduce the flame to lowest. Cook for exactly 15 mins. Off the flame. Rest for 20 to 30 mins.
• Garnish hyderabadi biryani with fresh chopped coriander leaves & serve with raita.

HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Steps:

• hyderabadi chicken biryani gravy.
• Marinate chicken overnight with yogurt, salt, lemon, and red chilli powder.
• Slice onions thin and length-wise. Fry in oil until brown and crispy. Remove and set aside by soaking in paper towels.
• Use the remainder oil to add the following spices: (cloves, cardomom, bay leaf, anise, black cardomom, mase, shah jeera, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks).
• Once fragrant, add in the tomatoes, chillies and girnger/garlic paste.
• Now, add in the garam masala.
• After stirring a few mins, add in the marinated chicken.
• Now, add in the Shan Biryani Masala.
• Stir and cover with a lid over medium-low heat. This will need to cook for an hr or so. The longer it cooks, the more tender the meat will be.
• Soak the basmati rice in cool water after flushing about 3-4 times.
• Boil around 6 cups of water for the 4 cups of rice, Add in the rice. Heat uncovered until the first boil appears within the first 10-15 minutes.
• Use the tray and line the first layer with gravy and chicken from earlier. Now add a layer on top with the semi- cooked rice. Top with garnish of mint and the fried onion from earlier.
• Continue with step 11 until the tray is full.
• Soak the saffron layers in warm milk for a couple minutes Garnish this dilution over the top of the biryani.
• Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Enjoy!