Name: Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ chickens, cut into portions; 7 cups boiling water; 3 ½ cups basmati rice; 4 cardamoms – cracked; 2 small strands of mace; 1 tsp caraway seeds; 2 sticks cinnamon; 6 cloves; 2 small bay leaves; 1 tsp peppercorns; 2 tsp salt; ¾ cup Ready fried browned onions; 3 tsp ginger-garlic; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 2 tsp dried red crushed chillies; 2 tsp plain low fat yoghurt; ⅓ cup lemon juice; 1 tsp extra garlic paste; 1 tbsp fresh mint; 1 tsp coarse black pepper; 2 tsp gharam masala; 2 tsp green masala; 2 tsp Salt; 1 cup chopped green dhania; 3 tbsp fresh mint; 2 tbsp oil or ghee; ½ tsp saffron threads – soaked in 1 cup boiling water; ¾ fried browned onions; 1 ½ gharam masala; Chopped green dhania

AuthorFood For RoyaltyCategoryChickenDifficultyIntermediate

A delicacy from Hyderabad in South India, boasting a combination of aromatic spices, flavours and colours.
Hyderabad – Capital of Southern India

Prep Time45 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr 30 mins

1 ½ chickens, cut into portions

SPICES FOR RICE

7 cups boiling water

3 ½ cups basmati rice

4 cardamoms – cracked

2 small strands of mace

1 tsp caraway seeds

2 sticks cinnamon

6 cloves

2 small bay leaves

1 tsp peppercorns

2 tsp salt

MARINADE

¾ cup Ready fried browned onions

3 tsp ginger-garlic

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp dried red crushed chillies

2 tsp plain low fat yoghurt

⅓ cup lemon juice

1 tsp extra garlic paste

1 tbsp fresh mint

1 tsp coarse black pepper

2 tsp gharam masala

2 tsp green masala

2 tsp Salt

1 cup chopped green dhania

3 tbsp fresh mint

2 tbsp oil or ghee

½ tsp saffron threads – soaked in 1 cup boiling water

LAYERING OF BIRYANI

¾ fried browned onions

1 ½ gharam masala

Chopped green dhania

Fresh mint

1 tbsp melted ghee for the last layer

SERVING SUGGESTION

Serve with raita, poppadums and kachumber

Soak rice for 30 minutes in cold water. Tie all the rice spices together in a muslin cloth. Rinse and boil rice with the rice spices until ¾ done. Drain, cover and set aside.

Combine onions, ginger-garlic, turmeric powder, dried red chillies, yoghurt, slit green chillies, lemon juice, garlic paste, fresh mint, black pepper, gharam masala, green masala and salt.

Add chicken, cover and set aside for 30 minutes to infuse.

Transfer the chicken with its marinade to a pot. Add 2 Tblsp of the chopped dhania and 1 Tblsp of the fresh mint. Pour the oil or ghee over the chicken.

Add rice to the pot in 3 layers as follows: Add 1 layer of rice. Sprinkle ¼ cup saffron water, 2 Tblsp fried onions, ½ tsp gharam masala, dhania, and mint. Do the same for the other 2 layers of rice.

Close the pot and steam on high for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and steam for a further 10 minutes.

Adjust to low heat and steam for 10 minutes until done.

Add the last Tblsp of melted ghee over the rice before serving.

Ingredients