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Hyderabadi chicken biryani in a sage green Dutch oven topped with crispy fried onions and mint, with cucumber raita and lemon wedges beside it.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

This Hyderabadi chicken biryani layers spiced bone-in chicken under fluffy parboiled basmati rice with mint, cilantro, crispy fried onions and saffron milk, then steams it dum style for 30 minutes. It serves 8 and is the dish I make for Diwali, birthdays and any dinner that needs a centerpiece.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 8
Author: Shilpa

Equipment

  • Enameled cast-iron Dutch oven (6 quart or larger)
  • Large stockpot
  • Cast-iron griddle or tawa

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

  • 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½-¾ teaspoon salt

For the chicken curry

  • 4 tablespoons ghee divided
  • 2 large onions thinly sliced
  • 2-inch piece ginger grated (or 1 tablespoon ginger paste)
  • 5 garlic cloves grated (or 1 tablespoon garlic paste)
  • 1 teaspoon shah jeera black cumin seeds or caraway seeds
  • 3 pieces cinnamon stick about 1 inch each
  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

For the rice

For assembly

  • 2 tablespoons warm milk
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ghee

Optional

  • 2 green chilies slit
  • ½ teaspoon kewra water
  • 1 teaspoon biryani masala

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • Add the chicken, yogurt, salt, turmeric, chili powder and garam masala to a large bowl.
  • Mix well to coat and marinate for 30 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge).

Parboil the rice

  • Rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear, then soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes.
  • While the rice soaks, bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add 1½ tablespoons of salt and the whole spices for the rice. Taste the water; it should be quite salty.
  • Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, until the rice is about 80 percent cooked and a grain breaks when pressed but still has a firm center.
  • Drain the rice, spread it on a tray, and let it cool uncovered.

Fry the onions

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add about one-third of the sliced onions and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate.

Cook the chicken curry

  • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee to the same pot. Add the shah jeera, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add the remaining onions (and the green chilies, if using) and fry for 5-7 minutes, until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the marinated chicken with all of its marinade and mix well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, until the chicken is nearly cooked through and the gravy has thickened.
  • While the chicken simmers, soak the saffron in the warm milk for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and spread the chicken evenly across the bottom of the pot.

Layer the biryani

  • Spread half of the parboiled rice over the chicken to cover it completely. Scatter the mint, cilantro, and half of the fried onions over the rice.
  • Spread the remaining rice on top. Drizzle the saffron milk over the top in streaks and add 1 tablespoon of ghee, plus the kewra water and biryani masala, if using.
  • Cover with a tight-fitting lid. If the lid does not seal, lay a sheet of foil over the pot first, then press the lid on.

Dum cook

  • Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Set the covered pot on the hot griddle and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
  • Steam for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the pot rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
  • Open the lid and check that the chicken reads 165°F. Scoop from the bottom so each serving gets rice and chicken, top with the remaining fried onions, and serve with raita and lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Use aged basmati rice. It cooks up long and separate, which is what a biryani needs.
  • Salt the rice water well. It is the only seasoning the rice gets, so taste the water before adding the rice. It should be noticeably salty.
  • Always steam on a griddle. Setting the pot on a hot griddle over the lowest heat keeps the bottom layer from scorching.
  • Overcooked rice: spread it on a tray immediately to cool and cut the steaming time to 15 minutes. Undercooked rice: sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of cold water over the top layer before sealing.
  • Oven method: preheat to 300°F. Layer in a greased oven-safe Dutch oven or deep baking dish (chicken and gravy, then fried onions and herbs, then rice, saffron milk and ghee). If the gravy looks dry, add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water or milk. Seal with two layers of heavy-duty foil crimped to the rim, lid on top, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Rest sealed for 10-15 minutes before opening.
  • Make ahead: the curry and fried onions keep for a day in the fridge. Assemble and steam just before serving.
  • Storage: leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. Reheat covered with a splash of water.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1591mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 423IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
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