Biriyani Recipe

For the Rice:

  • 2 cups Mansa Basmati rice
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 2-3 green cardamom pods
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • Salt to taste

For the Chicken:

  • 500 grams chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 2-3 green chilies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to your spice preference)
  • Salt to taste

For Assembling Biryani:

  • 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • Fried onions (from the sliced onions)
  • Lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions:

For the Rice:

  1. Wash the Mansa Basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for about 30 minutes. Drain the water.

  2. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice, along with bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and salt. Cook the rice until it’s 70-80% done (it should have a slight bite to it). Drain and set aside.

For the Chicken:

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.

  2. Add the thinly sliced onion and sauté until they turn golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set them aside for garnish.

  3. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw smell disappears.

  4. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they start to brown.

  5. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, and salt. Cook for a few more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the oil separates.

Assembling the Biryani:

  1. In the same pan with the cooked chicken, layer the partially cooked rice over the chicken.

  2. Sprinkle chopped coriander and mint leaves over the rice.

  3. Sprinkle the fried onions over the top of the rice.

  4. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or seal the edges with dough to trap steam (this is called “dum” cooking).

  5. Cook on low heat for about 20-25 minutes, allowing the biryani to steam and the flavors to meld together.