Chicken biryani with cucumber raita
100 min · 64 g protein · 653 cals / serving
A proper layered dum biryani: chicken marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic and garam masala, buried under saffron-streaked basmati and deep-brown onions, then sealed and steamed until the rice smells of cardamom and the chicken is tender. More chicken and less rice than the usual pot, the onions browned in a measured spoon of oil, a teaspoon of ghee for the aroma, and a cold mint raita alongside.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 breasts (1 3/4 lb) chicken breast, in large chunks
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 green chili peppers, slit lengthways
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp paprika, or Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, ground cayenne
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Onions
- 3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Rice
- 1 1/4 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 4 green pods cardamom, lightly cracked
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 small stick ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt, for the rice water (most of it drains away)
To layer
- a good pinch saffron
- 3 tbsp skim milk, warm
- 1 tsp ghee, melted
- a handful fresh mint, leaves torn
- a handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Raita
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, grated and squeezed
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin, toasted
- a pinch salt
Steps
- Stir the yogurt, ginger, garlic, chillies, garam masala, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, cumin, lemon juice and salt together in a bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, or overnight; the yogurt keeps breast meat juicy.
- Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes, until deep brown and sticky; add a splash of water whenever they catch. Lift out a third of them for the top.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to the boil with the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Add the drained rice and boil 5–6 minutes, until a grain breaks between your fingers but still has a firm core. Drain well.
- Warm the milk, crumble in the saffron and leave it to steep. Tip the chicken and every bit of its marinade into the pot with the onions, spread it level and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring once. Spread the rice over the top without stirring, scatter over the reserved onions, mint and coriander, then spoon the saffron milk and ghee over in streaks.
- Cover the pot with foil and then the lid so it is sealed. Cook over the lowest heat for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it closed for 10 minutes more. The chicken should read 165°F in its thickest piece.
- For the raita, stir the yogurt, cucumber, mint, toasted cumin and salt together and chill until serving. Bring the biryani to the table in the pot and dig down to the chicken so everyone gets both layers, with the raita alongside.
Good to know
Why parboil the rice?
Rice that goes in two-thirds cooked finishes in the steam from the chicken and its marinade, so each grain stays separate and soaks up the flavour from below. Fully cooked rice turns to mush in the sealed pot.
Can I use more ghee?
Yes, and it tastes richer: two tablespoons over the rice is closer to a restaurant pot, and the score goes from about 59 to 54.
My pot catches on the bottom. What helps?
Use the heaviest pot you have, keep the flame at its lowest, and set the pot on a flat griddle or an upturned frying pan for the steaming stage. The marinade under the chicken is what protects the bottom, so do not skimp on it.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 123
- Protein
- (39%)
- 12 g
- Fat
- (18%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (43%)
- 14 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 213 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2612 kcal goes into the pot and 2220 g of ingredients comes out as about 2132 g of food: 123 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.