Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
The simplicity of this one-pot meal recipe is just unbelievable, especially considering the fantastic results in the end! A definite family favourite and a must-try recipe!!
Ingredients
- 1 medium chicken skin removed then cut into 8-10 pieces (1 to 1.5kg)
- 3 cups basmati rice washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour.
- 4-5 onions sliced and fried until golden brown
- 2 cups yoghurt
- 2 cardamom
- 1/2 tsp whole black pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 chopped green chilli
- 1 tbsp javetri/mace optional
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 3-4 potatoes peeled quartered and fried until tender (optional)
Instructions
- First, marinate the chicken in all the ingredients (aside from the rice and reserve half the fried onions and half the chopped coriander/mint leaves). You can marinate for 6 hours, but it's preferable to marinate overnight.When ready to cook, take the marinated chicken out of the fridge at least an hour before you start cooking so that it comes to room temperature. In the meantime, wash 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 halfway done (about 6-7 minutes), remove and strain out all the water.Now take a heavy pot/pan and add the (uncooked) chicken with all its marinade and spread it out in the bottom of the pot (I also added fried potato quarters during this stage on top of the chicken). Then add HALF of the semi-cooked rice, sprinkle some chopped coriander/mint leaves, the remaining fried onions, saffron color, then add the remaining rice over it all, cover tightly with the lid and cook for 30min. First 5 minute at high flame, next 15 minutes at medium flame and last 10 minutes at low flame.Serve with raita and green chutney. Enjoy!
Notes
If your pot/pan is thin, make sure you place a tava (the flat pan for making chapatis/parathas/rotis) under the pot so that your biryani doesn't burn. You can place this tava after the first 5 minutes
mashallah
Mashaallah …..
How many does this recipe feed? JazakaAllah Kheir.
Feeds 4-6 people.
How long should you marinate the chicken?
Marinate overnight.
How much time do we marinate the chicken.
Overnight is best.
will d chicken get cooked well if v just mix d chicken without leaving it for cooking for sumetime with the half cooked rice..
If you follow the recipe EXACTLY it will be perfect.
Can u suggest any accompaniments?
Raita, Kachumbar and Green Chutney.
Salaams Fauzia 🙂 This is a wonderful recipe mashaAllah – I’m making this tomorrow again for 8 people so wanted to double the recipe (so I have leftovers). Should I just double the amounts of everything? Also, I’ve only got baby chickens, am I okay to double that to two or should I add a third and if so will the spice amounts change? Sorry to be a bother! Just want to get it perfect 🙂 JazakAllah! x
W/Salaam, thank you. Yes, simply double the recipe, it should be fine. A 1 to 1.5kg chicken (as used in this recipe) which is cut into 8-10 pieces is normally enough for 4-5 people. Adjust the chicken amount according to the sizes/weights of your chicken.
Salam fauzia. I simply love ur recepies. And I so wanna try all of ur recepies as they all look great mashaalllah. I was thinking to try biryani but I am not sure that whether I will b able to cook rice nicely. Actually I’m far from home n have never cooked rice except for once when I ruined my chicken pulao. Can u give me some tips on boiling rice n steaming thing( dum) in plain white rice and whether strategy changes in pulao and biryani. I will b very thankful dear 🙂
W/Salaam, make sure you wash then soak the rice for at 20-30 minutes, then boil in simmering water with salt, 1-2 tbsp oil and whole spices of your choice for about 8-9 minutes. Drain the rice and put it back in the pot, cover and steam on low heat for 15 minutes. Perfect biryani rice.
Salam dear……. should i need to put some oil before placing chicken in the pot ? what about non stick pot ?
W/Salaam, normally there is no need to oil the pot but you can if you want. And yes you can use a non-stick pot.
oh dear i have made this one….very yummmmmyyy….love this..i have sent the photo by fb
Received the awesome photo, fantastic results!!
thanks 🙂 tomorrow again i’ll cook it for ten people..my mom’s order….hahaha…pray for me 😀
Aww great job! InshaAllah it will be just perfect! 🙂
oh I’ve cooked it today again for 22 guests as iftar item…..super hit…thanks a lot 😀
Salaam sister.. I have a quick question- do we cook the chicken before layering with rice or leave it raw with the marinade and layer with rice?
W/Salaam, the chicken is added raw to the bottom of the pan, it gets cooked in the process after layering.
Thank you for your swift response sister… One more thing I forgot to ask is that I have an electric stove- would I still be able to achieve the same effect as with gas stove? Please advise on how I would go about making it. Thanks
Yes you can achieve the same effect, just make sure to place a tava under the pan as recommended in the recipe to prevent your chicken from burning.
salamz sis… I din knw abt ur webste n gt to knw recently and its simply superb.. I’m gng 2 cuk dis 4 the festivel…. Hpe its work out….
assalam fauzia,
i have 1/2 chicken. i want to make biryani of 3 cup rice with it. should i reduce the quantity of ingredients in marination or use them as it is?
W/Salaam. Use half the amount of marination ingredients.
I wanted to make this spur of the moment and didn’t marinate overnight so I only did it for about 4 hours. The biryani turned out so great so I can’t even imagine how much more delectable the taste would be if the chicken had more time to soak in all the flavor.
Dear Fauzia please if I dont have saffron ,can I use zarda color?
Yes you can.
Thank you so much.
Slms ,in ur recipes where it says fried onions ,can u use ready made fried onions u get nowadays from the Indian shops in packets ,thanks
W/Salaam, I prefer frying the onions fresh at home.
Salam fauzia i tryd dis receipe today accompnied wd yemeni lemonade it ws superb!every1 enjoyed it tx aloot sis may God bless u inshlh ameen
hi i tried ur hydrabadi bryani today n it is awesome. bohat achi bani hai. i was a little worried before making it k pata nai kaisi bane gi but i followed exactly the same steps and the result is too good.thankyou so much.although i was short of 2 or 3 things n also u didnt mention marination time in the recipe (i marinated only for an hour) but still it tastes really good
if i want to double the amount of rice and chicken, do i have to double the cooking time too[after i drain the rice]
Yes double the ingredients and NO do not double the cooking time.
What about if I am using just
What about if I am using just 250g chicken? (We are just two people). Do I reduce the cooking time accordingly?
Cooking time remains the same
Cooking time remains the same, just use a smaller pan.
Fauzia ur alll recipes are vvv excellent and easy to cook.I just needed to ask u about the recipe of matar pulao.If u can Post this recipie please.It willl grateful of u.Thank for ur help,
Peas pilau recipe is already included in this same category of rice recipes, please check for it.
while marinate the chicken is it necessary to put fried onion….isnt it taste tita..
Yes it is necessary for the best results.
can i use beef instead of chicken…?
There is a hyderabadi mutton biryani recipe in the folder, use that recipe for beef. 🙂
Waooo, this is super yummy… Will try it insha Allah.
hi,can u tell me if i can cook this in the oven and how long and the temperature. thanks
Hi, best to cook this on a stove-top.
kya ap mujhe bata sakti hain ke cup ki measure kitni hai kunke sab ke cup alag alag hote hain plz mujhe aj hi bata dien yeh answer kunke kal mujhe biryani banani hai
Please translate for me in English?
assalamu alaikum
can i know how much is this 3 cups of rice?as in how many kg?its the first time im going attemt..and where can you get bay leaf?
W/Salaam, each cup of rice is 185gm. Here is my note on measurements: http://www.fauziaskitchenfun.com/my-measurements/
Since cup measurements different from country to country so i was asking how much 1 cup yogurt is equal to how many grams
thanks
1 cup yoghurt is 200ml.
Could you plz tell me how can i get to know that rice are half boiled ..how can i check like wether they are breaking easily or not if you can plz explain how shud be the condition of rice before putting in for dum in this biryani ,,,
Normally rice takes about 4-5 minutes to cook half-way. There should be some resistance/hardness when you press the grain of rice. It will cook further when putting on dum/steaming.
How to make this biryani in an oven please tell me.
Best to follow the recipe directions exactly for good results.
Asalamo alekum.how are you.your recipes so gud.I will try this recipe about 30 people.can you tell me what amount ckicken and rice
.plz jzk.
W/Salaam, this recipe will serve 5 people, you can multiply the ingredients accordingly to serve more people.
assalamu alaikum.during layaring is water requred?if yes then what wud b d amount?
W/Salaam, no water is needed during layering.
Dear Fauzia,I just love ur website nd love da recipes. I tried this Biriyani once but some how top layer rice was undercooked. So i was thinking shall I need to use coyla on top of my cooker so the rice cooked evenly?or ny other tips?
Thanks dear. What you can do is drizzle about 2-3 tbsp of water or milk over the rice just before covering the pot. And make sure the pot is sealed tight, if it stays open then the top layer tends to dry out and appear undercooked. InshaAllah the next attempt will be perfect. 🙂
Is the saffron necessary?
Can it be omitted?
It adds a great flavour to biryanis but yes you can omit it if you don’t have it.
it is nice preparation
Askm fauzia..is this Biriyani spicy n masaledar..coz my husband loves it spicy..if not then how can I add more spice to it?
W/Salaam, yes it is, although if you want it spicier just add more chopped green chillis to it.
Slaams, this recipe sounds great! I am sure to try it. please tell me how to make it with goat meat too.
W/Salaam, check the recipe titled Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani in this same folder.
Salaam, If I were to cook the biryani in the oven, how long do u think I should cook it for and at what heat setting? I have an electric stove and if I don’t stir the chicken it’s bound to burn/stick to the bottom.
W/Salaam, have personally never tried cooking it in the oven. Place a flat heavy pan under the pan when on the stove to protect the chicken from getting burnt. This is done after the first 5 minutes.
i tried this biriyani ystrday n it ws superb. i lovd it. my 6 yr old son loved it n whn i ws goin to serve my maid he tld me mom dnt finish it, i wnt it for dinnr also.lol. trust me i love all ur recipes n i hv tried soo many n they were easy to make n finally a hit. may allah bless u more n more. love u.:):)
Dear fauzia,Alhamdullillah I cave cooked 2 times my fmly loved it an today frd am cooking it again.Jazakallah kheir
I love this site.trying ur fish biryani tomorrow.i just read this reciepe sounds interesting but im just wondering that will the chicken be properly cooked like this?you havnt written for how long we should marrinate the chicken for?my family doesnt like ny sort of meat if its not very well cooked..do u think its better idea to marinate the chicken then fry for some time so atleast its half cooked like the half cook rice and then put them in pot to be fully cooked together?thanks ill wait for the ur reply
Hi, you can marinate overnight (I think I have mentioned it somewhere in the above comments) and no I would not recommend that you fry the chicken. It normally is done to perfection if the instructions are followed accurately.
I made this today, and turned out perfect…thank you so much <3
aslm ,
can you please tell me approximately how many kg of potatoes can be added to the briyani
W/Salaam, I use a little more than half a kg, I cut them into halves or if they are big then quarters.
also i wanted to ask you whether the saffron color it mixed with some water or is it powdered ?
Saffron comes in strands. You can add them as is into the marinade mixture or mix them with a few drops of warm water then add them in.
Salam….I’ve tried this recipe twice so far and alhamdulillah the taste is good but the chicken is still raw after 30 mins….when I cook it more the rice gets a little mushy especially at the bottom….do you have any suggestions ? What kind of pot do you use?
W/Salaam, I use a regular aluminium pot, medium thickness. Are you using an electric stove? Normally mine is done perfectly within 30 minutes. Do you follow the exact timings of the heat?
I am trying to make this biryani and I have roughly 14 pieces of chicken, good sizes. It seems to be that there is too much dahi in the marinade…I used about 3 cups (220ml each)…I plan to cook tomorrow morning, is there anyway to reduce the dahi? I do not want to just pour it out because then it will get rid of the other spices as well….or do you feel the dahi amount is ok? I am confused, please help! I need a reply before tomorrow….
It should be fine, but if you are worried you can remove some of the mixture, dry it off in a separate pan then drizzle it later over your biryani so as not to lose out on the flavour.
Where can i get saffron
Where can i get saffron colour from? Can’t seem to find in a few asian shops in clapton
No idea where Clapton is,
No idea where Clapton is, sorry. Try checking for it online?
Salaam sis. Roughly how much
Salaam sis. Roughly how much salt should I use? Its my first time attempting the recipe and I’m fasting so can’t taste it.
Approx 2 level tsp.
Approx 2 level tsp.
Assalamu Alaikum sister.
Assalamu Alaikum sister..Jazakaallah for your lovely recipes.
Can i add some biryani mix to the chicken or rice to make it a little more spicy.
W/Salaam, sure you can. 🙂
W/Salaam, sure you can. 🙂
After putting the raw chicken
After putting the raw chicken marinated and half cooked rice in a foil pan , can I place it in the oven instead of the stove? If so, what temperature and time ?
Thank you
A fan wrote to me that this
A fan wrote to me that this technique worked for her in the oven. At 180 C for 30-40 minutes. However I personally have never tried it so am not sure how the results would be or if the chicken will get fully cooked this way.
when you say half cooked rice
when you say half cooked rice.. how would I know if its half cooked. For eg: if if I break the grain, it should cut in half?
Yes it should break but not
Yes it should break but not easily, it should have a bit of resistance.
What kind of yoghurt you used
What kind of yoghurt you used, sour or sweet one?
Plain FRESH yoghurt, not
Plain FRESH yoghurt, not sweet and not sour.
I want to make this using
I want to make this using around 1.5lb chicken breast. Should I just halve the amount in the recipie? Thanks
Yes you can halve the amounts
Yes you can halve the amounts. 🙂
Salam fauzia,
Salam fauzia,
I just love ur recipes!! I want to try making this but have few questions. Are the fried onions added in the marinade?
If I’m not using saffron I should mix the yellow coloring in the marinade itself to have the biryani color? I will be using Tefal non stick so do I need to place tawa under it? I’m not sure about the thickness…
W/Salaam, half the fried
W/Salaam, half the fried onions are added to the marinade and half when layering the rice and marinade mixture. Add some colour to the marinade and drizzle some over the rice too. And just to be on the safe side, place the tawa under the pan to prevent the chicken from burning.
Thanks for the quick reply.i
Thanks for the quick reply.i will be marinating tonight and cook tomorrow wish me luck 🙂
I have tried many of ur recipes where can I email u the pics?
Thanks and good luck! You can
Thanks and good luck! You can email your tried and tested pics to fauziaskitchenfun@hotmail.com and I will transfer them to our tried and tested album on Facebook. 🙂
Sure will do it soon
Sure will do it soon inshallah:)
Hi fauzia, plz can u say 3
Hi fauzia, plz can u say 3 cups of rice u added is how much in Kgs????
Each cup is normally around
Each cup is normally around 185gm so it would be just a bit over half a kilogram.
Salam Fauzia..i m a new chef
Salam Fauzia..i m a new chef these days, in iran.. It is difficult to find tandoori masala here, what could be its possible alternate, or can i make it myself…
And if i donot have tomato puree, can i use ketup
Thanks
W/Salaam, you can leave out
W/Salaam, you can leave out the tandoori masala…or check online for a recipe. As for tomato puree, it is sometimes known as tomato paste. Concentrated tomato paste used in cooking. It is totally different from ketchup, so please do not use ketchup in place of the paste.
Thanks alot.. I ve made this
Thanks alot.. I ve made this hyderabadi biryani today, and it turned out to be amazing, Alhumdulilah…all thanks to you of course 🙂
You are amazing, your timings particularly..i ve tried your chapli kabab and cubed pepper steaks as well..those too tasted great.. Thanks alot dear again…this is so much help when you are living far from your mother or elder sister to help you in cooking
Hi fauzia, hw much ml of
Hi fauzia, hw much ml of yoghurt u hav used for this???
Hi, around 400 ml.
Hi, around 400 ml.
Thnx gonna try this one 4
Thnx gonna try this one 4 sure….
😉
Salaams. I dont have bay leaf
Salaams. I dont have bay leaf and mint leaves. Can I omit those?
W/Salaam, yes you can.
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Hi. Is saffron used for taste
Hi. Is saffron used for taste/smell, or colour? I don’t have saffron. If it’s used for colour, can I use powdered orange food dye in its place?
Hi, saffron adds both colour
Hi, saffron adds both colour and flavour. If you do not have it its ok, use food colour.
Turned out well! Thanks X
Turned out well! Thanks X
3 cups seems like a lot of
3 cups seems like a lot of ricefor 4 people…how big are your cups?
Regular tea cups. It should
Regular tea cups. It should serve 4-6 people depending on appetites.
Hi. I warmed it as instructed
Hi. I warmed it as instructed using the tawa guide for 25 minutes. It still got burnt. It wasn’t a total mishap though. It was still edible and tasted nice. I think I’ll warm it on just lower heat next time though. I tend to use boneless so I’m sure it’ll cook the chicken just fine. Thanks.
Salam fauzia i tried this
Salam fauzia i tried this biryani and it really turned out great everyone loved it thanks
Can I use rive cooker?? Plz
Can I use rive cooker?? Plz help I dnt have appropriate pot. Will b making it today
Sorry but I personally have
Sorry but I personally have never used a rice cooker so am not sure how this dish will turn out in it.
Salaam
Salaam
Thanks for your amazing delicious recipes! Really a lifesaver 🙂
I wanted to make this biryani with 250 g boneless chicken and 1.5 cups of rice, how much marinade would I need?
Thanks!
W/Salaam, thank you! A
W/Salaam, thank you! A quarter of the amount should suffice. If you like extra gravy in the rice then you can use half the amounts and it will still be fine. 🙂
What can i use instead of
What can i use instead of saffron?
There is no replacement for
There is no replacement for saffron for this recipe, simply leave it out if you do not have it.
Hi Fauzia, I tried this dish
Hi Fauzia, I tried this dish it is very tasty. Its one of the best Dum briyani i had, better than the restaurants here where i live.
I have a question, i would like to make this for my guests but what is the replacement/substitute for coriander leaves (due to allergy)? They would like to taste biryani. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!
Hi, you can leave out the
Hi, you can leave out the coriander or use parsley if that is agreeable and doesn’t affect your allergies. Otherwise even without it, the biryani is still going to be awesome. Thanks for the great feedback!
Salaam, I wanted to make this
Salaam, I wanted to make this biryani but I am worried about it burning when I cook it. I have a gas cooker with 4 standard burners, do I cook it for the full 30mins on the large burner or a small or medium one?
W/Salaam, maybe place a thick
W/Salaam, maybe place a thick flat tawa under the biryani pot to protect the food from burning.
Salams sister Fauzia!
Salams sister Fauzia!
May God bless you 🙂
I wanted to make this with 500gm of boneless chicken.. I think I’ll half the marinade but what do you advice for the rice and cooking time please?
Will boneless still turn out nice?
Thanks!
I LOVE your step by step detailed approach and it’s really helped me get into cooking. In my duas xx
WSalaam, thanks for the
WSalaam, thanks for the lovely message. Yes you can halve the marinade, and the rice too if you plan to serve less people. The cooking time will be shortened slightly, just cut off 2-3 minutes out of each level of adjusting the cooking heat. Yes it will taste great but of course not as great as when pieces on the bone are used.