Traditional Chicken/Beef Biryani Recipe

Start by gathering ingredients. First, prepare the beef, then we do the same with chicken. Let’s start!

Ingredients

For the Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice (substitute: jasmine rice, but adjust cooking time)

•  4 cups water

•  2-3 cloves

•  2-3 green cardamom pods

•  1 small cinnamon stick

•  1 tsp salt

For the Masala (Spiced Meat/Veggies):

• 500g chicken/beef (substitute: paneer, tofu, or chickpeas for veg)

•  1 large onion, thinly sliced

•  2 tomatoes, chopped (substitute: ½ cup yogurt for a creamier version)

•  2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee

•  2 tbsp biryani masala (substitute: 1 tsp garam masala + ½ tsp turmeric + ½ tsp cumin)

•  1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)

•  1 tsp coriander powder

•  1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

•  1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

•  ¼ cup plain yogurt

•  ½ cup fresh cilantro & mint leaves, chopped

For Garnish & Flavor:

•  1 tbsp lemon juice

•  ¼ cup fried onions

•  1 tbsp saffron (substitute: ¼ tsp turmeric mixed with 2 tbsp warm milk)

Before We Start

• Rinse rice – Soak for 20-30 minutes to make it fluffy.

•  Use whole spices – They add authentic flavor.

•  Marinate meat – If using chicken/mutton, marinate with yogurt and spices for 1 hour.

Instructions

Cook the Beef

Step 1: Clean your beef with a knife thoroughly, then place it into a pot over medium flame. Add ghee or oil, do a little fry, then add garlic-ginger paste and mix.

Step 2: Take a small piece of cloth and add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 3 cloves, 3 black peppers, 2 little cardamom, 1 black cardamom, and 1 stick cinnamon. Tie the knot well.

Step 3: Fill water into the meat pot, add the spice potli into it, and keep the flame over medium. Add bay leaf and salt to taste. Cook until the meat is tender (it can take 1 hour but more than half an hour anyhow). Now your meat is done—start preparing the masala for biryani.
 (When meat is tender, strain it through the potli and turn the meat into masala as a replacement for chicken.)

Cook the Chicken

Step 1: Take a deep pot over medium flame, add washed chicken, dry the water, then add oil. Add 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste and stir it. Now add enough water, black pepper, and salt to taste. Let it cook until the masala is ready.

Prepare the Masala

(I must recommend reading the "Before We Start" column. You literally need to soak rice. Which rice are you choosing? The main part is also necessary—give an hour or anyhow 30 minutes to soak, then come up on the cooking method.)

Step 1: Take a pot, add oil over medium heat, and add sliced onion to fry until golden brown. (Remove some onions for garnishing at last.)

Step 2: Add ginger-garlic paste and give it a minute to cook.

Step 3: Add chopped tomatoes, half a cup of yogurt, and some green sliced chilies. Let it cook for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Now the masala is done. Add only pieces of cooked chicken. (Don’t throw the chicken water.)

Step 5: Add salt, biryani masala, and half a cup of chicken water or simple water. Mix completely. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it cook until the rice is done.

Cook the Rice

Step 6: Wash the rice thoroughly 2 to 4 times, then place it over high flame. Fill with water and also add chicken water. Add salt and a few green sliced chilies. Let the rice boil and cook for 70-80%.

Step 7: Drain the rice and reserve half a cup of water.

Layer the Biryani

Step 8: When you are done with the masala and cooking the rice, in a pot, spread half of the rice as the first layer, then a layer of chicken masala.

Step 9: Sprinkle cilantro, mint, and fried onions.

Step 10: Repeat the steps. The last layer must be rice, then add food color at the end over the top if preferred.

Step 11: Cover it and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. (You know it’s DUM time!)

Raita (Yogurt for Biryani)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of yogurt

• 1/4 cup of water

• Pinch of salt

• ½ cup of coriander and mint

• 1 green chili

• 1 garlic clove

Step 12: In a mortar-pestle or grinder, add coriander, mint, green chili, and garlic clove. Make a green granular sauce.

Take a bowl, add a cup of yogurt, water, a pinch of salt, and the green granular sauce. Mix well. You have raita too!

Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 onion

• 1 cucumber

• 1 large tomato

• 1 green chili

• 2 pinches cumin seeds

• Dried mint powder

• Oregano

• Lemon

Step 13: Take a plate, thinly slice the onion, cut cucumber into thin rounds, chop the tomato, and cut the green chili into little pieces. Mix the salad together.

Sprinkle cumin seeds (rub them between your palms for more flavor), then sprinkle dried mint and squeeze lemon. Mix well. You have salad too!

Step 14: When your biryani dum is done, place your plates on a tray along with raita (yogurt) and salad. Serve and enjoy!

Serve

Take large-sized plates, add biryani beautifully, and sprinkle fried onions and coriander over it. With a medium-sized spoon, serve it along with a napkin. Place yogurt dip and salad together.

What Goes with Biryani?

Biryani is traditional in Pakistan—you will love it when you try it with yogurt dip, known as raita, and salad.

You can serve it with the best side dishes like:

• Shami kabab

• Pickles and papad

As for drinks, try:

• Mint lemonade

• Soda

• Fresh mango juice

• Falooda or lassi

Recipes Related to Biryani

How to Make Biryani Masala at Home

Grind together:

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 4 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili powder

Store in an airtight jar for fresh, homemade biryani flavor.

How to Make Vegetable Biryani

1. In oil or ghee, stir onions and tomatoes, then add preferred vegetables (carrots, beans, peas).

2. Add biryani masala (or homemade one), yogurt, and cooked rice in layers as the process is.

3. Steam (dum) for 12-15 minutes and serve hot.

How to Make Egg Biryani

1. Fry boiled eggs with turmeric and red chili powder.

2. Cook onions, tomatoes, and spices.

3. Layer cooked rice and eggs, cover, and steam for 10 minutes.

How to Prepare Hyderabadi Biryani

1. Marinate chicken with yogurt, spices (biryani masala, ginger-garlic paste, salt to taste, turmeric, chili powder, hot spices powder), lemon squeeze, and fried onions.

2.  Layer raw marinated chicken with half-cooked rice.

3.  Cook on low flame (Dum method) for 30-40 minutes for an extra flavor.

Conclusion

Beef and mutton take time to tender. Start by cleaning the meat, then boil it with a potli of spices (cumin, coriander seeds, cloves, black peppers, little cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon). Knot the spices into a small piece of cloth and add it to the boiling beef or mutton. Add salt to taste and let it cook for an hour—sometimes more than half an hour—until tender. Sieve it through the potli and add it to the biryani masala.

Take a deep pot, add washed chicken, and place it over medium flame. Dry the water, then add oil or ghee and fry until the color changes. Fill with enough water, add salt and black pepper to taste, and let it cook until the masala is ready.

In another pot, add ghee and sliced onions. Fry over medium flame until golden brown. When done, take out some for garnishing later. Then, add garlic paste, tomatoes, half a cup of yogurt, and sliced green chilies. Cook for 5 minutes. When done, add the cooked chicken pieces—don’t throw away the remaining chicken water, save it for later.

Once the chicken is added, mix in biryani masala, salt, and half a cup of the reserved chicken water (or simply use regular water). Mix well, cover with a lid, and let it cook over low flame.

To cook the rice, wash it thoroughly 2-4 times. Place it over high flame with salt, cumin seeds, and sliced green chilies. Give it a simmer and cook 80% before draining.

In a pot, layer half of the boiled rice, then add chicken masala. Sprinkle fried onions, cilantro, and mint leaves. Repeat the process—the last layer must be rice on top. Cover it over low-medium heat (as we know, Dum) for 15 minutes.

Until then, prepare salad and raita (yogurt). Serve biryani on a tray with raita and salad on the side, and done!

For More Recipes, Check Out:

• Make Tasty Croissants

• Recipe of Ramen Soup

• Crispy Fried Chicken Quickly

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