Fried Chicken Biryani
 
 
Step 1 Making Rice
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 5 People
Ingredients
Cooking basmati rice
  • Basmati Rice- 2 cups (soaked & rinsed)
  • Ginger, minced- 1 tsp
  • Garlic, minced- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
  • Garam Masala ( ground cardamom, cloves and cinnamon)- 1tsp
  • Ghee- 1 tbsp
  • Water- 3 cups (while cooking in a rice cooker, cooking in a saucepan over stovetop add 4 cups water)
  • Salt- 1 tsp
For marinating chicken
  • Chicken, bone-in pieces- 12 pieces
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
  • Chili powder- 2 tsp (based on your spice level)
  • Fennel powder- 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder- 1½ tsp
  • Garam masala- 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice- ½ tbsp
  • Salt- 1 tsp
For frying chicken
  • Marinated chicken
  • Coconut oil or vegetable oil- ¾ cup or enough for frying
  • Curry leaves- 10 leaves
For making chicken masala
  • Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
  • Ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Onion, cut lengthwise- 5
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp (use freshly ground ginger-garlic paste)
  • Green chili, cut half- 3, or depending upon your spice level
  • Tomatoes, chopped- 2
  • Curry leaves- 10 leaves
  • Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves
  • Fried chicken- 12 pieces
  • Garam masala- 1 tsp
  • Fennel powder- 1 tsp (if you don't have fennel, add coriander powder)
  • Chili powder- 1 tsp (based on your spice level)
  • Salt- 1½ tsp
  • Yogurt- 3 tbsp
  • Lemon juice- 1 tbsp
Layering
  • Fried onions- 2 onions sliced thin and fried in the oil used for frying chicken
  • Raisins, roasted in ghee- 2 tbsp
  • Cashew nuts, roasted in ghee- ½ cup
  • Saffron- 2 pinches soaked in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes.
  • Cilantro, chopped- ¼ cup
  • Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves (use fresh mint leaves)
Instructions
Step 1: Cooking rice
  1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
  2. Take the rice in a strainer & rinse under running water, keep it aside.
  3. If cooking in the rice cooker, you only have to add 3 cups water for 2 cups rice.
  4. Add water to the rice cooker pot, add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, garam masala salt, ghee, and rinsed rice.
  5. Turn on the rice cooker and let the rice cook.
  6. Remove the rice pot from the cooker and keep it aside covered.
  7. Cooking rice over the stovetop
  8. If you are cooking rice in a saucepan over the stovetop: for 2 cups of rice, 3½ cups of water is required.
  9. Add the rice along with all other ingredients and water to the saucepan.
  10. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes till the water has dried out & the rice turns soft & fluffy.
  11. Keep the saucepan covered so that any moisture in the rice will be absorbed and the rice will be set well.
Step 2: Marinating chicken
  1. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil.
  2. Let the oil turn hot. Place the marinated chicken and curry leaves. Shallow fry or deep fry the chicken till both sides turn golden brown & cooked well. Make sure to flip it over and let fry on both sides.
  3. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel and keep aside.
  4. Save the oil that's left on the pan after frying the chicken.
Step 3: Frying the chicken
  1. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil.
  2. Let oil turn hot.
  3. Place the marinated chicken and add the curry leaves.
  4. Shallow fry or deep fry the chicken till both sides turn golden brown & cooked well. Make sure to flip it over and let fry on both sides.
  5. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel and keep aside.
  6. Save the oil that's left on the pan after frying the chicken.
Step 4: Making chicken masala
  1. Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium heat, add coconut oil and ghee.
  2. Add onions & season with ½ tsp salt, saute until translucent- 5 minutes.
  3. When the onions turn translucent, add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and curry leaves, saute till onions turn golden in color.
  4. Add tomatoes and mint leaves, cook until tomatoes get mashed up.
  5. Keep sautéing till the onions start to turn light brown in color.
  6. Add the garam masala, fennel powder, chili powder and ½ tsp salt.
  7. Taste and add salt according to your needs.
  8. Add the fried chicken, combine well.
  9. Add yogurt, lemon juice and combine well.
  10. Cover the pan with its lid and cook the chicken along with the onion masala for 15 minutes.
  11. Ensure the masala doesn't dry up, if too dry add 2 to 3 tbsp water and continue cooking.
  12. Combine everything well and remove the pan from the heat & keep covered.
Step 5: Layering rice and chicken masala
  1. Soak 15 strands of saffron in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes. Keep aside.
  2. Fry 2 thinly sliced onions in the oil used for frying chicken till onions turn golden brown. Keep aside.
  3. In a wide and deep baking bowl, spread half of the prepared chicken masala as the bottom layer.
  4. Add half of the cooked rice, spread evenly on top of the chicken masala.
  5. Add half of the fried onions, half of the chopped cilantro, half of the chopped mint leaves and half of the soaked saffron on top of the rice and spread them evenly.
  6. Repeat this one more time and on top layer-garnish with fried onions, cilantro, mint, roasted cashews, roasted raisins and saffron.
Step 6: How to dum cook biryani in the oven- Baking
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Cover the bowl layered with rice and chicken masala tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the oven and keep it covered for 30 minutes.
Dum cook biryani in a saucepan over stovetop
  1. Layer the chicken masala and rice as mentioned above in a large non-stick cooking pot.
  2. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and close the pan with its lid.
  3. Place the pot over stove top, turn on the heat to very low.
  4. Dum cook for 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and keep covered for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Serving
  1. While serving combine the rice and the chicken masala; serve along with Raita, Pickle, Pappadum etc.
Notes
Use coconut oil for sautéing the onions, coconut oil imparts a nice aroma to the biryani.
Use fresh ingredients: ginger, garlic, green chili, mint and cilantro.
Fry the onions in the oil used for frying the chicken. Avoid using store bought fried onions.
Sprinkle fresh mint leaves over the rice layer, the aroma of mint makes the biryani taste a whole lot better.
For making homemade fennel powder: Roast the fennel seeds or use roasted fennel seeds and grind to a fine powder. Sieve the powder and store it in an air-tight container.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Wholesome Homemade Recipes at https://thasneen.com/cooking/best-tasting-fried-chicken-biryani-better-than-restaurant-chicken-biryani/