Chicken Biryani

Name: Chicken Biryani
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Indian subcontinent
Ingredients: 1 kg (2¼ lb) boneless chicken thighs, skinless, cut in large pieces; 200 g (¾ cup) full-fat plain yogurt; 4 cloves garlic, grated; 30 g (2 in piece) fresh ginger, grated; 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, or 1 tsp paprika plus ½ tsp cayenne; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tsp garam masala, or the blend in Four Spice Blends; 10 g (1¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 1 lemon, juiced; 120 ml (½ cup) neutral oil; 3 onions, large, very thinly sliced; 500 g (2½ cups) basmati rice, aged if possible; 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 4 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cm (2 in); 2 bay leaves; 60 g (3 tbsp) fine sea salt, for the rice water; 1 pinch saffron threads; 60 ml (¼ cup) warm milk; 40 g (3 tbsp) ghee or butter, melted; 20 g (¾ cup) fresh mint leaves; 20 g (¾ cup) cilantro leaves; 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise

Spiced chicken and fragrant rice layered and steamed together

Serves: 6
Hands-on: 1 h
Total: 3 h
Level: Project

Biryani is a celebration dish: yogurt-marinated chicken cooked in a sealed pot under par-boiled basmati, so the rice steams in the chicken's aromas. This home version takes the shortcut of cooking the chicken first, which makes timing reliable, and keeps the crisp fried onions, saffron milk and fresh herbs that make it special.

Ingredients

Marinade

1 kgboneless chicken thighs (2¼ lb)skinless, cut in large pieces
200 gfull-fat plain yogurt (¾ cup)
4 clovesgarlicgrated
30 gfresh ginger (2 in piece)grated
2 tspKashmiri chili powderor 1 tsp paprika plus ½ tsp cayenne
1 tspground turmeric
2 tspgaram masalaor the blend in Four Spice Blends
10 gfine sea salt (1¾ tsp)
1lemonjuiced

Onions and rice

120 mlneutral oil (½ cup)
3onionslarge, very thinly sliced
500 gbasmati rice (2½ cups)aged if possible
4green cardamom podslightly crushed
4cloves
1cinnamon stick5 cm (2 in)
2bay leaves
60 gfine sea salt (3 tbsp)for the rice water

To layer

1 pinchsaffron threads
60 mlwarm milk (¼ cup)
40 gghee or butter (3 tbsp)melted
20 gfresh mint leaves (¾ cup)
20 gcilantro leaves (¾ cup)
2green chiliesslit lengthwise

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: Indian subcontinent

Method

Mix all the marinade ingredients with the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. 1 h
Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until it runs almost clear, then soak in fresh water for 30 minutes. Soak the saffron in the warm milk. 30 min
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot (about 5 L / 5 qt, with a tight lid) over medium heat. Fry the onions, stirring often, until deep golden-brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes; lower the heat as they darken. Lift out onto paper towel. Keep the oil in the pot. 22 min
Add the chicken and all its marinade to the pot with half the fried onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through (74°C, 165°F) and the sauce is thick and clings, 20 minutes. Taste for salt. Spread it evenly over the base of the pot. 20 min
Meanwhile bring 4 L (4 qt) water to a rolling boil with the 60 g salt, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay. Drain the rice and add it. Boil until the grains are long and bend when pressed but still have a firm core — about 70% cooked, 5–6 minutes. Drain well, spices and all. 6 min
Spoon the rice over the chicken in an even, loose layer — do not press down. Scatter over the mint, cilantro, green chilies and the rest of the fried onions. Drizzle with the saffron milk and ghee.
Cover the pot tightly with foil and then the lid. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until you hear sizzling, then turn to the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Do not lift the lid. 28 min
Rest off the heat, still covered, for 10 minutes. Serve by scooping deep down so everyone gets rice from the top and chicken from the bottom. 10 min

Why it works

Par-boiling the rice in heavily salted, spiced water seasons each grain and leaves it just firm enough to finish in the steam of the chicken without going soft. The sealed pot (dum cooking) traps steam, so aromas from the chicken, saffron and herbs move up through the rice. Yogurt's mild acidity seasons and gently tenderizes the surface of the chicken without turning it mushy, and its proteins give the sauce body.

Common mistakes

Cooking the rice fully before layering: it turns mushy in the pot.
Pale onions: they need to be properly brown for the sweet, deep flavor biryani depends on.
Lifting the lid: you lose the steam that finishes the rice.

Variations

Vegetable biryani: Replace the chicken with 1 kg mixed vegetables (cauliflower, potato, carrot, peas) and 200 g paneer; cook in the marinade for 12 minutes before layering.
Raita: Serve with Tzatziki, or plain yogurt mixed with grated cucumber, cumin and salt.

Make ahead and storage

Marinate the chicken and fry the onions a day ahead. Leftovers reheat well, covered, with a splash of water; cool and refrigerate within 1 hour and eat within 1 day.

Notes

Store-bought crispy fried onions save 25 minutes. Some contain gluten; check the label. Chicken must reach 74°C (165°F) in step 4.