Best And Easy Chicken Biryani Recipe How To Make Biryani

What is chicken biryani?

Biryani is a popular rice dish made with aromatic Indian spices either with the meat of your choice (chicken, beef, goat, lamb, fish, prawns) or eggs or vegetables (potato, mushroom, baby corn, cauliflower, paneer, etc.). First, the meat (or eggs or vegetables) and the rice are cooked separately. Then, they are arranged in layers and cooked together to infuse the rice with all the aromatic flavors. You will be surprised to see how simple this biryani recipe is, yet it has the best taste and flavor. You will never order biryani from a restaurant again. You can check the video of making biryani here. This biryani recipe is so easy that even bachelors and beginners can try this at home and impress their friends or loved ones.

Ingredients

I have listed the ingredients in the order I have used in the video of making chicken biryani.

Cooking the rice

1 cup Basmati rice4 to 5 cups Water1 teaspoon Salt

Chicken marination

400 grams Chicken thighs¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder1 teaspoon Red chile powder1 teaspoon SaltJuice of 1 lemon

To make biryani

2 Onions, chopped lengthwise5 to 6 Garlic cloves, finely chopped1 inch Ginger, finely chopped2 to 3 Green chilies, slit2 Tomatoes, diced6 to 8 strands Coriander leaves or cilantro¼ cup Mint leaves or Pudina, loosely packed1 ½ tablespoon Oil1-inch Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)3 to 4 Cardamom pods (Elaichi)3 to 4 Cloves (Lavang)2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)1 tablespoon Biryani or Tandoori Masala1 tablespoon butter or ghee¼ cup Water

How to make the easy & best chicken biryani?

Cooking rice

Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. In the pot, add rice along with water and salt and bring it to a boil on a high flame. Reduce the flame to medium and cook till the rice is cooked through 80%. Drain and keep this aside.

Chicken marination

In a bowl, add chicken thighs, turmeric powder, chile powder, salt, and juice of a lemon. Toss and keep this aside for 15 minutes.

Making of chicken biryani

In a pan, add oil. Once hot, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds, and saute for a few seconds. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, add garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes. Check the video here for a better understanding. Add onion, tomato, coriander leaves, mint leaves, tandoori masala, and give it a good mix. Cook this for a minute. Now spread it evenly to cover the base of the pan. Add partially cooked rice, spread evenly, and garnish with some more mint and coriander leaves. Finally, add butter and sprinkle some more tandoori masala powder or biryani masala powder and splash ¼ cup of water. Cover this and cook on low flame for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through thoroughly. Tips:

Use basmati or long-grain rice for the best result.Adjust the spices to taste.If the rice remains uncooked after the given time, splash water and continue cooking.Marination makes the meat flavorful, tender, and juicy when cooked. So do not skip this step.Chicken things and drumsticks are always good for biryani.

Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

Follow the same step for marination and soaking rice that is given above. Turn on the Saute mode of your instant pot. Once hot, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds, and saute for a few seconds. Continue to cook in the Saute mode. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Then add garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure there is no food sticking at the bottom to avoid any burning. Add onion, tomato, coriander leaves, mint leaves, tandoori masala powder, and mix well. Cook this for a minute. Now spread it evenly to cover the base of the instant pot. Add the soaked (and drained) rice and spread it evenly over the chicken. Add ½ teaspoon salt and 1 cup water. See that all the rice is under the liquid. Close the lid of your instant pot and see that the pressure valve is in the sealing position. Select the Manual / Pressure High function and set the timer to 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure. Open the instant pot and gently mix the cooked rice with chicken using a silicone spatula to prevent the hot rice from breaking when tossed. Garnish with some more coriander leaves, mint leaves, and enjoy.