Easy To Make Kashmiri Chicken Biryani
 
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Cooking Chicken
  • Chicken, bone in or use legs- 12 pieces
  • Chili powder- 1tsp
  • Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
  • Fennel powder- 1 tsp
  • Salt- 1 tsp
While Cooking
  • Oil- ¼ cup
  • Onion, thinly sliced- 4
  • Whole cloves- 3
  • Cardamom- 3
  • Cinnamon stick- 2-inch slice
  • Whole black peppercorns- 8
  • Ginger- garlic paste- 1 tbsp
  • Fennel seeds- 2 tbsp
  • Coriander seeds- 3 tbsp
  • Yogurt, not sour- ¾ cup
  • Milk- ¼ cup
  • Apple, red delicious chopped- ½ cup or ½ apple
  • Raisins- 2 tbsp
  • Water- 1½ cups (or liquid after cooking the chicken)
  • Basmati rice, rinsed- 1¾ cups
  • Salt- 1½ tsp
For final cooking
  • Yogurt, not sour- ¼ cup
  • Milk- 5 tbsp
  • Saffron strands- 10 strands
Garnishing
  • Fried onions in oil- ½ cup
  • Roasted almonds in ghee- ¼ cup
  • Roasted cashew nuts in ghee- ¼ cup
  • Roasted raisins in ghee- 2 tbsp
Instructions
  1. Take the chicken in a bowl & add chili powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, and salt. Combine well & let marinate for an hour.
  2. I used chicken legs, you could use any bone-in pieces.
  3. Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes, after that rinse the rice well.
  4. Cook the chicken in a pressure cooker along with ¼ cup of water until 1 whistle. We are only cooking the chicken partially.
  5. Don't overcook the chicken, we will be further cooking the chicken with the rice.
  6. Save the liquid that's left in the cooker after pressure cooking the chicken.
For garnishing
  1. Fry the onions in oil until golden brown in color.
  2. Fry the cashew nuts, almonds, and raisins in ghee till they turn golden in color.
Cooking chicken & rice
  1. Place a large non-stick cooking pot over medium heat.
  2. Add oil, add the whole cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and whole peppercorns to the oil. Saute for a minute.
  3. Add the onions, season with ½ tsp salt, saute till onions turn light golden in color.
  4. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.
  5. Add the cooked chicken, combine well.
  6. Add the fennel seeds and coriander seeds.
  7. Add yogurt and milk, and combine everything well.
  8. Now, add the chopped apples to it.
  9. Add the raisins, and combine well.
  10. Add 1½ cups water and let come to a boil. Or add the liquid that's left in the cooker after cooking the chicken, add additional water & make it to 1½ cups.
  11. Add the soaked & rinsed basmati rice.
  12. Season with 1 tsp salt.
  13. Cover the pan with its lid and let the rice cook for about 15 minutes.
  14. Check frequently whether the rice has been cooked. Do not overcook the rice.
  15. After all the water has dried off and the rice has turned fluffy & soft, gently combine the rice and chicken together.
Final cooking
  1. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup yogurt, 5 tbsp milk, and saffron strands.
  2. Spread this mixture over the cooked rice to form a layer.
  3. Spread the fried onions, nuts, and raisins over it.
  4. Cover the pot with its lid. You could even cover it with aluminum foil.
  5. Lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes.
  7. Serve this Kashmiri Biryani along with raita, pickle, etc.
Notes
You could use Goat or Lamb instead of chicken.
Leftover biryani can be refrigerated and will taste delicious the next day.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Smart Cooking, Smart Living at https://thasneen.com/cooking/easy-to-make-kashmiri-chicken-biryani/