Chicken Biryani

aroy

Well-Known Member
I have been making Hyderabad Style Mutton Biryani for quite some time. All - family friends and acquaintances enjoy it. But there are a few souls who for some reason or other do not have mutton, and have requested me, time and again, that I try my hand at the Chicken version of the Kachchi Biryani. Hence this recipe.

Recipe

The secret is to get both the chicken and the rice flavoured individually.
The leaves - coriander, mint etc are to impart an aroma and a moisture to the biryani. Normally commercial Biryani is on the drier side, while this preparation remains moist.
The ghee and curd for moisture.
The rice is cooked partially to infuse the spices into each grain. The final cooking of rice is in the pot, so enough moisture should be there. If there is too much moisture, rice will become "muddy".

Ingredients

- Chicken : 1 kg, cut into big pieces.
- Onion : 1/2kg.
- White Oil : 1/4 kg.
- Rice : 0.5 kg, Superior Basmati.
- Coriander leaves, chopped to be layered with rice : 50g

Marinade for Chicken
- Curd : 300g
- Ginger & Garlic Paste : about 2 table spoons
- Green chilies, deseeded and chopped : 7
- Mint Leaves 1/2 bunch, chopped fine
- Nutmeg : half
- Mace 1/8
- Cinnamon 3-4 1/4" x 1/2 pieces
- Cloves : 8-9 pieces
- Black pepper : 20 pods
- Kashmir Red Chilly powder : 1 TBS
- Salt : 1-2 TBS

To check if the marinade is right, taste it and evaluate it as a stand alone curry. It should have just a slight bit of more salt than normal and the masala just comfortable. I added extra heat in form of black pepper and Kashmir Chilly, as this is an attempt at appeasing those who like it hot!

Spices for Rice

- Big Cardamom : 4
- Black Pepper : 20 whole pieces
- Mace : 1 pod
- Cloves : 4 pods
- Cinnamon : 3 1/2" pieces
- Salt : 2 TBS

Vessel

The cooking vessel is very important. It should be pretty thick, especially the bottom. I used a 12" aluminum thick walled pan. Good enough for 1-2kg.

Steps
• Clean chicken, and drain water fully. I use a colander.
• Coarse grind the solid spices
• Deseed the green chilies, and chop the chilies and mint as fine as possible with a sharp knife.
• Mix the spices in curd along with the Ginger & Garlic paste, in a container marginally larger than the whole mix.
• Ready a plastic bag, large enough to hold the chicken with a lot of space to spare.
• Dip four or five chicken pieces at a time in marinade and then transfer the pieces to the bag.
• Once all the chicken pieces are coated and transferred to the bag, pour the balance marinade over the chicken.
• Expel all the air and close the bag by twisting the neck tight. Now there is minimal space wasted and all the marinade is in contact with the chicken.
• Refrigerate till needed. I prepared the marinade on Friday afternoon and took it out of the refrigerator at 10 on Saturday morning.
• In a wide bottom vessel arrange the marinated chicken. The chicken should lie one layer deep.
• In a small sized Kadahi, Fry onions in three batches
• Mix one batch with the marinated chicken, and use the other for layering
• In a medium vessel to be used for cooking rice, boil all the spices for ten minutes
• Take the spices from the water. I use a tea strainer to fish for the solid spices.
• Now put rice in.
• Once the rice grows a bit, take off fire and drain the water. Normally this will occur just as the rice begins to boil.
• Put one third of the rice on the chicken, level the rice. Spread one third of the fried onions and some coriander leaves.
• Build up two more layers of rice similar to the first layer.
• On the last layer pour all the left over oil.
• Seal the lid with atta.
• Put the vessel over a Tawa on medium heat, and cook for one hour

NOTES
• To judge the amount of salt, taste the marinade when you transfer the chicken to the vessel. Some salt would have been absorbed in the chicken, so it will be slightly less salty no. The salt should be marginally more than comfortable.
• When cooking the spices for rice, boil them for about 10 minutes, till the water colour changes to a light brown.
• Initially do not press the lid hard to seal it fully.
• Use high heat to start cooking.
• Once steam starts leaking from the lid sides, reduce the temperature till the steam comes out in extremely small puff. Now press the lid to seal the vessel firmly.

Cooking Log - to get the total cooking time - 2012-04-14

1210 : Start Onion Fry - Batch 1.
Start Water for Rice.
1220 : Start Onion Fry - Batch 2.
1230 : Put Rice in the Soup.
1235 : End Onion Fry - Batch 3.
Rice cooked, strain.
1240 : Layer Biryani.
1245 : Start Biryani.
1255 : Steam starts escaping, lower the heat.
1335 : Switch gas off.
1345 : Open and eat.

PHOTOGRAPHS
ChickenBiryani-01.jpg

Chicken as it came from the shop

ChickenBiryani-04.jpg

Chicken cut to size

ChickenBiryani-02.jpg

Leaves & Paste (From top Clock wise : Mint, Ginger, Garlic,Chillies)

ChickenBiryani-03.jpg

Dry Spices

ChickenBiryani-05.jpg

Spices Ground

ChickenBiryani-06.jpg

Chicken marinated in a bag

ChickenBiryani-07.jpg

Sliced Onions

ChickenBiryani-09.jpg

Marinated Chicken in the pot

ChickenBiryani-08.jpg

Spices for the Rice

ChickenBiryani-11.jpg

Rice

ChickenBiryani-13.jpg

Boiled rice in colander (one portion layered, two remaining)

ChickenBiryani-10.jpg

Onions frying - Lot 1

ChickenBiryani-15.jpg

Onion Frying - Lot 3

ChickenBiryani-12.jpg

Preparation for Layer 1 - leaves and fried added. Now they will be mixed with the chicken and the surface smoothed.

ChickenBiryani-14.jpg

Layer 1

ChickenBiryani-16.jpg

Layer 2

ChickenBiryani-17.jpg

Layer 3

ChickenBiryani-18.jpg

Seal for the lid

ChickenBiryani-19.jpg

Pot on the Gas. Note the Tawa below the vessel for lowering and distributing the heat

As usual in a hurry to sample the goods, I forgot to take the photographs post cooking.:shock:
 

anupmathur

Super Moderator
Staff member
Wonderful recipe! :)

But, no finished product? :shock:
.....
......
......
As usual in a hurry to sample the goods, I forgot to take the photographs post cooking.:shock:
Well, you'll just have to make another batch and take some photos to post here! :p
 
C

cheguevara

Guest
whattttttttttttt???

No pics of the Biryani!!!

Lets hope you make some more and post the pics here again :)
 

aroy

Well-Known Member
Update : 2012-04-22
This time I am making the Biryani for eight guest and five of of us. As most of the people like it spicy, I doubled the quantity of spices I normally use for Biryani.

Ingredients
- Chicken : 2kg Drumsticks and 1kg Wings. Cut the drumsticks and wings into two.
- Onion : 1.5kg.
- White Oil : 0.5kg.
- Rice : 1.75 kg, Superior Basmati.
- Coriander & Mint leaves, chopped to be layered with rice : 50g

Marinade for Chicken
- Curd : 500g
- Ginger & Garlic Paste : about 2 TBS each
- Green chilies, deseeded and chopped : 20
- Mint Leaves 1 bunch, chopped fine
- Nutmeg : 1 1/2
- Mace : 1
- Cinnamon 3-4 1/2" x 1/2 pieces
- Cloves : 20 pieces
- Black pepper : 1 TBS (about 50 pods)
- Large Cardamom : 2
- Kashmir Red Chilly powder : 2 TBS
- Salt : 2 TBS

Spices for Rice
- Big Cardamom : 10
- Black Pepper : 40 pods
- Mace : 2 pods
- Cloves : 12 pieces
- Cinnamon : 2 x 3" pieces
- Salt : 4 TBS

Cooking Log : to get the total cooking time - 2012-04-23

1220 : Start Onion Fry - Batch 1.
Start Water for Rice.
1245 : Start Onion Fry - Batch 2.
1250 : Start Rice.
1255 : Start Onion Fry - Batch 3.
1300 : End Onion - Batch 3.
1310 : End Layering.
1325 : Start Biryani
1425 : End Biryani

Photographs

ChickenBiryani-2-01.jpg

Drum Sticks

ChickenBiryani-2-02.jpg

Wings

ChickenBiryani-2-03.jpg

Drumsticks cut in half

ChickenBiryani-2-04.jpg

The whole pile of Meat

ChickenBiryani-2-05.jpg

Salt & Kashmiri Mirch

ChickenBiryani-2-06.jpg

Spices for Marinade

ChickenBiryani-2-07.jpg

All ground up

ChickenBiryani-2-08.jpg

Leaves & Chillies

ChickenBiryani-2-09.jpg

Chopped Leaves & Chillies

ChickenBiryani-2-10.jpg

Garlic and Ginger Paste

ChickenBiryani-2-11.jpg

Dry Marinade

ChickenBiryani-2-12.jpg

Final Marinade

ChickenBiryani-2-13.jpg

Chicken with Marinade in a bag

ChickenBiryani-2-14.jpg

Onions

ChickenBiryani-2-15.jpg

Oil

ChickenBiryani-2-16.jpg

Spices for Rice

ChickenBiryani-2-17.jpg

Rice water initially

ChickenBiryani-2-18.jpg

Rice Water after the Spices have been dissolved

ChickenBiryani-2-19.jpg

One Garlic chopped and added to the Chicken

ChickenBiryani-2-20.jpg

First batch of Onions

ChickenBiryani-2-21.jpg

Chicken with onions, mint and Garlic

ChickenBiryani-2-22.jpg

First Layer of Rice, Onions and Coriander

ChickenBiryani-2-23.jpg

Second Layer of Rice, Onions and Coriander

ChickenBiryani-2-24.jpg

Third Layer of Rice, Onions and Coriander

ChickenBiryani-2-25.jpg

Seal on the lid

ChickenBiryani-2-26.jpg

Pot on the Gas

ChickenBiryani-2-27.jpg

The Tawa under the Pot

ChickenBiryani-2-28.jpg

Biryani as it is after cooking

ChickenBiryani-2-29.jpg

Biryani Rice and Chicken Mixed

ChickenBiryani-2-30.jpg

Biryani as served
 
Last edited:

anupmathur

Super Moderator
Staff member
Only ten of us were there. One generous portion left. ...
I asked to get an estimate of how much per head...
Ten of you polished off three kgs chicken and 1½ kgs rice worth of biryani? :eek:
And how many eggs worth of egg curry?

Big eaters, I dare say! :grin:
 

aroy

Well-Known Member
I asked to get an estimate of how much per head...
Ten of you polished off three kgs chicken and 1½ kgs rice worth of biryani? :eek:
And how many eggs worth of egg curry?

Big eaters, I dare say! :grin:
In any group invited, there are invariably a couple of big eaters. To give you some consumption figures

. 3 kg Mutton Biryani + 2 Leg Roasts : 10 persons
. 3 kg Chicken Biryani + Egg Curry-18 : 11 persons
. 2 kg Mutton Biryani + Kebabs (1/2 kg) : 6 persons
. 1 kg Chicken Biryani : 4 persons (Trial run : Sunday Lunch)

for gatherings of about 10-12 couples here is what is cooked
. 4 kg Mutton
. 3 kg of Leg Roast or Kebabs
. 2-3 kg of Fish
. Vegetables + Dal + Raita ~ 1 serving bowl each
. Pudding or Kheer : 3kg milk

Formula for planning meals
1/3kg Meat/Fish per head
2 Eggs per head
2 bowls of sweet dish per head

As you never know what will be consumed more and what less, these quantities ensure that none of the items are finished and at the same time some thing is left for the next day.
 
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