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Pakistani Chicken Biryani

Pakistani Chicken Biryani is a traditional Pakistani recipe for a classic one-pot dish of spiced rice and chicken. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Pakistani version of: Pakistani Chicken Biryani.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

120 minutes

Total Time:

140 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesHerb RecipesChicken RecipesMilk RecipesPakistan Recipes

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Method:

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade ingredients. Cover and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for up to overnight. When ready to use, allow the chicken to come to room temperature.

Thoroughly wash the rice and soak it in water. Set aside.

Place a large, heavy based pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, ghee, and onions and sauté until the onions are golden (~15-20 minutes). At this point deglaze the pan with 4 tbsp water. Once the water dries up, add the whole spices, garlic, and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken along with its marinade and fry until it changes colour (~2-3 minutes). Add the tomatoes, green chillies, and dried plum (alu bukhara) and stir to coat. Add 120ml water (the water should cover about 1/3 of the chicken) and bring to a gentle boil.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and allow the chicken to cook for 30 minutes, stirring midway. Whilst the chicken is cooking, proceed to the next step. Turn off the heat once the chicken has cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Place a medium-sized saucepan over high heat and bring 1.75l of water to a boil. Add salt, oil, and lemon juice/vinegar and stir. Once the water comes to a boil, drain and add the rice. Stir, and bring it back up to a boil. Once it comes to a boil again, boil for 5 minutes (no more than 5 minutes and 30 seconds), or until the rice is just cooked but retains quite a bite to it. It shouldn’t get mushy when pressed between your fingers. Drain and set aside.

Uncover the chicken. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil off any excess water for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, garam masala, and red chilli flakes for more heat. The oil will have separated from the ‘masala’ by this point. Turn off the heat. Add kewra water and lemon juice and stir to combine.

I like my birianis dum style ie steamed in an oven. The next steps take you through doing that.

Lightly-oil the base of a cast iron casserole (Dutch oven) or similar cooking vessel. Layer in half of the drained rice. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of the chaat/garam masala on top of the rice. Add in all the chicken, and top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tsp of the chaat/garam masala. Drizzle in the coloured milk and oil. (Optional: Sprinkle a pinch of food colouring directly for more variation in colour.) Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and mint leaves, and arrange the lemon slices on top.

If your pan isn’t heavy based, place a heat diffuser, flat griddle, or tava underneath the pan to diffuse the heat. Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth (or aluminium foil) and seal tightly. The goal is to keep as much of the steam inside the cooking vessel as possible. Turn on the heat to medium and allow the biryani to develop steam for 4-5 minutes. You’ll be able to feel the steam starting to escape the sides. Then reduce to the heat to its lowest setting and allow the biryani to cook in its own steam (‘dum’) for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the biryani to rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Do not stir or mix. To serve, gently transfer the biriani on to a serving plate with a rice paddle or small plate. Serve hot with yogurt or raita to accompany.