Tandoori/Tikka Chicken Biryani
Finger-licking deliciously spicy, aromatic Tandoori/Tikka Biryani…one of the best biryani versions!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Tikka
- 1 chicken around 1.2-1.5kg skin removed (cut into 8-12 pieces)
- 1 heaped tbsp tandoori masala if your tandoori masala is spicy or too salty, then use less and add a bit of red colouring to the marinade
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1/4 cup yoghurt
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp oil
Ingredients for Masala/Gravy
- 4 onions sliced finely and fried until golde
- 1/4 cup oil
- 5 fresh tomatoes chopped into small pieces
- 4 peeled quartered and fried potatoes (optional)
- 1/4 cup yoghurt fresh and whipped
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cardamom pod
- 2 cloves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar to cut the acidity from the tomatoes optional
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- pinch of saffron
- salt to taste
- chopped coriander for garnishing
Ingredients for Rice
- 3 cups basmati rice
- salt
- saffron & food colouring
- oil
- whole spices
Instructions
- First, prepare the Chicken Tikka. Mix all the Tikka ingredients to form a marinade. Then make 2-3 deep slits on each piece of chicken, apply the marinade on them. The slitting ensures that the flavour from the marinade goes all the way into the chicken, and also helps with quick and even cooking. Refrigerate covered preferably overnight for best results, but even up to 4-6 hours is ok.
- Bbq the chicken on a grill over hot coals, using low heat to ensure the chicken is cooked through. Make sure you oil the grill so that the chicken doesn’t stick, and turn the pieces over every few minutes to get all sides equally done.Alternatively you can grill in an oven. Pre-heat oven at 200 C. Place the chicken pieces on an oiled oven grill & keep an oven tray underneath to catch any drippings which will be used later in the sauce. Grill the chicken pieces on both sides, for about 10 min per side or until slightly charred. You can then smoke the pieces of chicken by putting all the chicken pieces in a deep dish, lighting a piece of coal and placing it on a piece of foil in the centre of the dish, then add a few drops of oil to the lit coal and cover the dish so that the smoke is retained inside and gets absorbed by the chicken. Open the dish in 2 minutes and discard the coal and piece of foil.Reserve the marinade and drippings, they will be added to the biryani’s gravy.Next prepare the Masala/Gravy.Heat the oil in a deep pot then add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves) followed by the fresh tomatoes and half the green chilli. Cook until the tomatoes are dry, then add half of the remaining fried onions (reserve a handful for later). Add the garlic and ginger pastes, followed by the tomato paste. Sprinkle salt, cumin, chilli, turmeric and coriander powders. Cook together until the oil is released from the sides. Then add the whipped yoghurt and the reserved marinade as well as the drippings from the chicken and cook until the gravy is thick and cooked through. Sprinkle the sugar and mix well.Next, add some water (about half cup…just enough to immerse the chicken pieces in). Once the water simmers, reduce the heat to low and then gently add the grilled chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat to cook the chicken through. Every once in a while, open the pot and gently swirl everything together or stir gently with a flat spoon so that the gravy coats the chicken and they get turned over so that they may cook evenly on all sides. This should take about 10-15 minutes.Once the chicken pieces are fully cooked, adjust salt, add the remaining chopped green chilli, garam masala and chopped coriander. Add the potatoes if you want to use them in the recipe and stir them in.Finally prepare the RiceWash then soak 3 cups of rice in water for about 20-30 mins.Soak a few saffron strands in some water and set aside.Bring a big pot of water to boil, add salt, 4 cardamom pods, 2-3 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 cloves plus about 2 tbsp. of oil.Drain the soaked rice and add it to this water when it is boiling. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done, remove and strain out all the water.Put half the rice back into the pan, add the tikka masala on top of it, sprinkle the handful of reserved fried onions and some chopped fresh coriander, and add the remainder of the rice to cover the masala. Then drizzle about 2 tbsp. of oil and the saffron water. Add a bit of orange colour on one side and mix it up a bit with a spoon and cover the pot tightly. Steam this on low heat for 15 minutes or put in a 180 C preheated oven for about the same time. Serve hot!Enjoy!Â
Notes
Tip#1: You can taste the marinade before adding your chicken and adjust salt/chilli. Remember that it needs to be a bit salty because the chicken is without salt and it will go into that marinade, so don’t leave the marinade bland. If you prefer a more vibrant colour, add a few drops of food coloring and mix well.
Loving the tempting look and the spicy masala:)
salams fauzia i am going to try the chicken tikka biryani but wasnt sure what you mean by tomato paste, can you please explain this to me, is it tomato puree which comes in the tube??
thanx
Rukaiya
W/Salaam Rukaiya, yes you can use the puree which comes in a tube. Paste is slightly more concentrated, but puree is fine too.
Assalamu alaikum wb. Do you mix your own tandoori masala (in which case I know you are going to share, mashaAllah 🙂 or must we buy it ready made? by the way what is mace? I see it is used elsewhere. Shukran
W/Salaam, I normally buy ready-made tandoori masala. Mace is the outer covering of nutmeg.
assaalalaikum,mashaALLAH ur site is so well organized.n even d dishes r very good.i m from india .jazakallahukhair for sharing ur culinary knowledge may Allah gv u reward,Ameen.
Hi can I make this in boneless? Also can I skip the grilling? Usually when u put the ckn in the oven alot of water comes out, inspite of draining the water after the ckn is washed? Plz guide
Hi, yes you can make it boneless, I would not skip the grilling coz then you will lose out on flavour. Chicken will only release a lot of water IF the heat is low in the oven. Make sure to preheat the oven to VERY hot then put the chicken in and after a few minutes turn the heat down. This seals the chicken surface so the moisture stays INSIDE the chicken instead of all of it oozing out and drying up the meat.
salams fauzia could you please put up the recipe for paya curry ? kind regards
I cant wait to try it!
I cant wait to try it!
Greetings from Sri Lanka
Salaams. I just wanted to
Salaams. I just wanted to know if there is a speacial coal to use for the smoking process?
W/Salaam, no special coal
W/Salaam, no special coal just the regular type.
AoA fauzia Baji I today I try
AoA fauzia Baji I today I try ur recipe some guests r coming today plz guide me how much temperature on electric oven for grill the chickenBcoz my oven had 500 degrees plz can u guide me as soon as possible thnx Allah hafiz
W/Salaam, sounds like you
W/Salaam, sounds like you have an oven that reads temp in Fahrenheit not Degrees C. Please confirm if this is the case. Here is a conversion page. http://www.metric-conversions.org/temperature/celsius-to-fahrenheit.htm
aoa fauzia can u please guide
aoa fauzia can u please guide me the size of your cup for the rice? is it the standard 250 ml baking cup ?
My cup of rice weighs 185gm.
My cup of rice weighs 185gm.
how much onien and tomatoes
how much onien and tomatoes approx.? around 500 g ? i will prepare the masala one day ahead , that will be ok right?
Around 300gm. And yes a day
Around 300gm. And yes a day ahead is fine. 🙂
assalamu alaikum sis… Im
assalamu alaikum sis… Im new to cooking.. Please tell me how to steam the rice?
W/Salaam, put the boiled rice
W/Salaam, put the boiled rice in a pot, cover with a tight fitting lid and place on very low heat for 15 minutes. That’s called steaming the rice. 🙂
Asm. When u say to add the
Asm. When u say to add the veggie masala in the rice which masala are you referring to? Is the chicken mixed with the rice in this recipe? I love your recipes and use them often.
Sorry that was a typo, it
Sorry that was a typo, it should say tikka masala. Have fixed it. 🙂
Assalamu alaykum, you mean
Assalamu alaykum, you mean this recipe is for ½kg rice?
W/Salaam, yes around half a
W/Salaam, yes around half a kg. Each cup is normally 185gm.
Assalam aleikum fauzia, can I
Assalam aleikum fauzia, can I mAke the gravy a day before? I have guests and got a lot to do pls giv me a solution.
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
Thank Fauzia, il do dat
Thank Fauzia, il do dat tomorrow as d guests will b coming on Sunday.
alsm
alsm
when the chicken are fully cooked in the gravy, should the gravy (tikka masala )look dry or bit wattery?
W/Salaam, we prefer a thick
W/Salaam, we prefer a thick gravy although it really is up to you how you prefer yours. 🙂
Can I use boneless chicken
Can I use boneless chicken instead? If so how much?
Yes you can. 500 gm boneless
Yes you can. 500 gm boneless chicken will do.
Hi Fauzia,
Hi Fauzia,
Hope you doing well..
I was Surfing for chicken tikka Biryani Recipe and i came across yours..very Interesting recipe..very eager to make..
But only one Problem i have is i Need to Make it for 6 Guest Coming to my House and they all eat Really well..Touchwood!!
Can you provide me With the Exact Quantity required for 6 people..I will be Glad..
They Coming On Sun..
Awaiting your Reply..
Thanks
Tinaz
Hi, thanks! This recipe
Hi, thanks! This recipe serves 4-6 people (as mentioned in the servings field under the pic on the right hand side). You can multiply the recipe accordingly to make a larger quantity. 🙂
Assalamu Alaikum Fauzia sis!
Assalamu Alaikum Fauzia sis! Can u tel me hw to make tandoori masala.
W/Salaam, I normally buy my
W/Salaam, I normally buy my tandoori masala ready made…sorry no recipe for it. 🙂
Thanks fr the reply sis.
Thanks fr the reply sis.
Looks yum…will definitely
Looks yum…will definitely try…
When i’m grilling the chicken in oven i will first pre heat using the bottom burner but later on do i have turn on the top burner as well?
JazakAllahu khairan for all the wonderful recipies
When grilling meats/chicken
When grilling meats/chicken you will need the top and bottom grill on so that it seals the chicken instantly to preserve moisture. You can then turn down the heat later if it is too high to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
Made it today! It was awesome
Made it today! It was awesome Alhumdulilah:)
I don’t have an oven/grill.
I don’t have an oven/grill. Can I shallow-fry?
You could although
You could although authentically tikka is grilled not fried.
Hi. Please if i have 16 to 20
Hi. Please if i have 16 to 20 pieces of chicken then all the ingredients measurement will change to how much. Please reply soon want to make this tomorrow so will need to prepare for it early. Thanks.
Hi, please check the weight
Hi, please check the weight of the full amount that you have and then adjust/multiply the ingredients accordingly. Cannot be sure what sized pieces you have.
Assalamualaikum sister.
Assalamualaikum sister.
I made the recipe today itself.
No doubts it was lip smacking and finger licking!
But as i made the biryani today,it dint flavoured as normal tikka biryani does.
Was i lacking somewhere?
I used the directions precisely.
Still there was lack of something in the taste..
I dont doubt your recipe,as i am following your recipes sinces ages. 🙂
I think the charcoal treatment that i gave my chicken,made my dish come down a level.
Might be this reason? :/
I grilled the chicken in the oven and den gave a charcoal treatment to it.
What if i dont give it a charcoal treatment?
Will it taste like a restaurant?
I soo want my chicken biryani to taste like a restaurant’s one!
Please suggest.
JazakAllah. 🙂
W/Salaam, thanks for the
W/Salaam, thanks for the lovely feedback. Yes you can omit the smoking of the chicken if you are not very fond of that flavour. 🙂
Made it this Friday, hands
Made it this Friday, hands down amazing.
Just a tip, I didn’t grill it, after marinating overnight, I seared th chicken on a non stick pan lightly brushed with oil, once it got the colour I put the hot coal and followed recipe as is! Thanks alot 🙂