Tandoori chicken biryani
You can totally make this amazing tandoori chicken biryani at home. It’s a really simple recipe for 5 people.
Ingredients
For the Tandoori Chicken Marinade
1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) of chicken with the bone in—thighs and drumsticks are definitely the best for this.
¾ cup of thick plain yogurt.
1.5 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste.
1.5 teaspoons of Kashmiri red chili powder—this is mostly for that bright color and a tiny bit of heat.
1 teaspoon of regular red chili powder—you can add more if you like it spicy, I guess.
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
1.5 teaspoons of garam masala.
1 teaspoon of cumin powder.
1 teaspoon of coriander powder.
1 teaspoon of chaat masala—this is optional, but honestly, it’s really recommended.
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
1.25 teaspoons of salt.
2 tablespoons of mustard oil or just whatever oil you have.
1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves, also called kasuri methi—just crush them up.
For the Rice
2.5 cups of good basmati rice.
5 cups of water.
3 green cardamom pods.
3 cloves.
1 bay leaf.
A little 1-inch cinnamon stick.
1 teaspoon of salt.
1 teaspoon of ghee or oil.
For Layering and Finishing
2 big onions, sliced really thin.
⅓ cup of oil or ghee to fry the onions.
½ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped up.
⅓ cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped.
⅓ cup of warm milk.
A big pinch of saffron strands.
2 green chilies, sliced down the middle—if you want.
1.5 tablespoons of ghee.
1 teaspoon of rose water or kewra water—it’s optional but smells nice.
1 tablespoon of melted butter to brush on top at the end.
Instructions
- Step 1: Marinate the Chicken First, wash the chicken and make sure you pat it completely dry. Then, in a big bowl, just mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, the chili powders, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, chaat masala, lemon juice, salt, oil, and that crushed kasuri methi. Throw the chicken in there and make sure every single piece is covered really well. Cover it up and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. But honestly, if you can leave it for 3 or 4 hours, or even overnight, the flavor gets way better. This marinade is what gives the chicken that classic tandoori vibe and that really pretty red color.
- Step 2: Prepare Saffron Milk and Fried Onions Warm up your milk a little bit and toss in the saffron. Just leave it sitting there so it can release all that color and smell. Then, in a pan, heat up your oil or ghee and fry those sliced onions on medium heat. You want them to turn a really deep golden brown and get nice and crisp. Once they’re done, put them on a paper towel. These fried onions add a nice sweetness and a bit of crunch that every good biryani really needs.
- Step 3: Cook the Tandoori Chicken You can actually cook the chicken in two different ways, whatever is easier for you. Oven method: Turn your oven to 220°C (that’s about 425°F). Put the marinated chicken on a tray with some foil. Bake it for maybe 20 or 25 minutes. Turn the pieces once. You want it to be mostly cooked and have those little charred bits on the edges. Stovetop method: Heat up a big pan or a grill pan with a bit of oil. Put the chicken in and cook it on medium-high for about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn it every now and then until it looks good and is about 80% cooked. The chicken Is going to finish cooking later when we steam everything, so don’t worry about making it 100% done right now.
- Step 4: Cook the Basmati Rice Wash your rice gently until the water isn’t cloudy anymore. Let it soak for 20 or 25 minutes, then drain it. In a big pot, boil 5 cups of water with the whole spices, some salt, and a bit of ghee. Throw the soaked rice in and cook it until it’s about 70% done. The grains should still feel a little bit firm in the middle. Drain the water right away and spread the rice out so it stops cooking.
- Step 5: Layer the Biryani Get a heavy pot and put a little bit of the leftover marinade or some ghee at the bottom. Put the cooked tandoori chicken pieces in a nice layer. Sprinkle some of those fried onions, the mint, and the cilantro on top of the chicken. Then, put in half of the rice. Do another layer of herbs and onions if you want, then put the rest of the rice on top of everything. On that last layer of rice, pour the saffron milk all over. Add the rest of the fried onions, mint, cilantro, the green chilies, and some ghee. If you like that floral smell, you can add a few drops of rose water or kewra water now too.
- Step 6: Dum Cooking Put a lid on the pot really tight. You can use a kitchen towel under the lid or even some dough around the edges to seal it up. Put the heat on the lowest setting possible. If your stove is really hot, you might want to put a flat pan under the pot so it doesn’t burn. Let the biryani steam for about 20 or 25 minutes. After you turn the heat off, just let it sit there for 10 more minutes without opening it. This resting part is really important for the flavors to settle in.
- Step 7: Serve Gently fluff up the rice from the sides with a big spoon. You want the layers to mix a little but don’t break the rice grains. Serve it while it’s nice and hot with some raita, some sliced onions, lemon, or maybe a quick cucumber salad. Brushing a little melted butter on top at the end makes it look and taste really amazing.