INDIAN MOGHUL CHICKEN BIRYANI

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Indian Moghul Chicken Biryani image

Biryani is perhaps one of the most elaborate rice dishes. Of Moghul origin, it is cooked with lamb or chicken, streaked with saffron, and garnished with raisins and nuts. The chicken is first marinated for at least 2 hours in a delicious paste of ginger, garlic, onions, yogurt, lemon juice, and spices. It is then cooked briefly. Partially cooked rice is placed over it, and the chicken and rice are allowed to steam for about an hour.

Provided by Olha7397

Categories     Curries

Time 3h30m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 24

6 medium onions, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 piece fresh ginger, about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 whole cloves
20 whole black peppercorns
8 whole cardamom pods, seeds of
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon whole poppy seed
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
4 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
8 ounces plain yogurt (1 container)
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
4 large black cardamom pods, if available
2 lbs chicken legs or 2 lbs chicken breasts
2 teaspoons saffron strands, loosely packed, roasted and crumbled according to directions (see Note)
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons golden raisins, fried
2 tablespoons blanched almonds
2 sliced eggs or 2 quartered eggs, lengthwise

Steps:

  • First you have to make the marinade for the chicken.
  • Peel and coarsely chop 3 of the onions.
  • Place the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger in an electric blender, along with the cloves, peppercorns, the seeds only from the 8 cardamoms, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, poppy seeds, mace, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the lemon juice. Blend all of these at high speed until you have a smooth paste. Place this paste in a large bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well.
  • Now peel the 3 remaining onions. Slice them into very fine rings, and halve all the rings.
  • In a 10 inch heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium flame. When hot, add the bay leaves and 4 black cardamoms. Fry for about 10 to 15 seconds. Now put in the onions and fry them, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until they get brown and crisp (but not burned). Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon, squeezing out as much of the oil as possible. Reserve all the onion flavored oil, the black cardamoms, and the bay leaves. You will need them later. Mix in 2/3 of the fried onions with the marinade paste. Place the rest on a paper towel to drain. Set aside for garnishing.
  • Remove skin from the chicken legs and breasts. Cut the legs into two pieces each (drumstick and thigh), and quarter all the breasts. Pierce the chicken pieces with a fork and place in the bowl with the marinade paste. Mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Turn occasionally.
  • After 2 hours (or more), remove the bowl from the refrigerator and place all its contents in a 3 to 4 quart heavy bottomed pot. Bring slowly to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove only the chicken pieces, place them in a 5 quart casserole dish, and cover. Set aside. On a medium flame, boil down the marinade paste, stirring, until you have about 9 to 10 tablespoons left. Spoon the paste over the chicken. Cover again.
  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons hot (not boiling) milk.
  • Bring about 13 cups of water with 3 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a 4 quart pot, then add the rice. After it has come to a boil again, cook 5 minutes, timing very carefully (the rice must not cook through). DRAIN the rice in a colander, then place it on top of the chicken in the casserole. Pour the saffron milk over the rice, streaking it with orange lines. Spoon out the onion flavored oil from the pan, RESERVING a level tablespoon to fry the raisins if you like. Sprinkle the oil, cardamom, and bay leaves over the rice. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, cut 2 inches wider than the rim of the dish. Now put the lid on and use the protruding foil edges to seal the dish as best you can by crinkling it and pushing it against the sides. Bake 1 hour.
  • GARNISHES: There are several garnishes that can be used for biryani; you can use them all, or only what you like, but the fried onions are a must. If you wish to use raisins, you can fry them in a tablespoon of the onion flavored oil just after you have fried the onions.
  • TO SERVE: As you lift the cover off your casserole dish you will see beautiful saffron streaks on the white rice. Spoon the rice and chicken out onto a large platter. Sprinkle fried onions and other garnishes of your choice over, and serve hot. With biryani, serve Koftas and some yogurt dish-Yogurt with Tiny dumplings, or Yogurt with Potatoes. If you wish to serve a vegetable, Cauliflower with Ginger and Chinese Parsley would be very good. Serves 6-8.
  • Biryani is quite definitely not an everyday dish. It is served at weddings and important dinners. Try serving it at a late supper party. It was, and is, a dish worthy of a king.
  • NOTE: This very expensive stigma of the crocus flower is used in Moghlai meat and rice dishes as well as in desserts. Ideally, saffron stigmas or "leaf" saffron should be lightly roasted in a hot skillet, crumbled, and allowed to soak in a tablespoon or so of warm milk for half an hour before being used.
  • Madhur Jaffrey An Invitations to Indian Cooking.

Kabuye Donavan
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0/10 would not make again.


Khadiza Binte Shafique
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Avoid this recipe at all costs!


tumwekwase boniface
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I would not recommend this recipe to anyone.


joe maina
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This was the worst biryani I've ever had. The chicken was tough and the rice was mushy.


Zeekay Zain & kamran
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I found this recipe to be a bit bland. I added some extra spices to taste, and it turned out much better.


Maria Harris
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The chicken was a bit dry, but the rice was flavorful. Overall, it was a good dish but not the best biryani I've ever had.


Qamrush Ishrat
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This biryani was a bit too spicy for my taste, but it was still very good. I would recommend using less chili powder next time.


Shair Zada
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This recipe is a must-try for any biryani lover. The chicken is tender and flavorful, and the rice is perfectly cooked. I highly recommend it!


Zubair Danish
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I love this recipe! It's easy to follow and the results are always delicious. I've made it several times and it's always a hit.


Namukula Gertrude
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This is the best chicken biryani I've ever had. The flavors are incredible and the chicken is so moist and tender.


Lumu Noah
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Amazing recipe! The chicken was cooked to perfection and the rice was flavorful and fluffy. I highly recommend this recipe.


Mariam Azeez
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This biryani was delicious! The chicken was so tender and the spices were perfect. I will definitely be making this again.


Lacy Scott
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I made this dish for a potluck and it was a huge success. Everyone loved it! The chicken was tender and juicy, and the rice was perfectly cooked.


R.L.F. Productions
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This recipe is a keeper! The chicken was cooked to perfection and the rice was fluffy and flavorful. I loved the addition of the nuts and raisins. Yum!


Mandy Moorman
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I've tried many biryani recipes, but this one is by far the best. The instructions were easy to follow, and the end result was a delicious and flavorful dish.


Shafiq Ali khan
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This chicken biryani was a hit at my dinner party! The flavors were incredible, and the chicken was so tender. I'll definitely be making this again.