Best Tasting Fried Chicken Biryani- Better than Restaurant Chicken Biryani

A biryani made on a not-so-special-day which turned the day into a special one…

Biryani and special occasions are inseparable, at least in my home. If there is any special occasion, you are guaranteed to get a plate of biryani from my kitchen. The aroma of the biryani spreads in such a way that forces anyone going through that way to pause and take a deep breath in. However, I don’t always need a special occasion to make biryani. By making biryani on an ordinary day, it will turn that day into a special one.

Last weekend, my husband and I made an impromptu trip to my favorite city Chicago. On the way we had visited my cousin in Madison. My cousin who is an awesome cook had made fried chicken biryani along with many other delicious dishes for us. I must say the best homemade biryani I had in a while. After spending a night at my cousin’s, we drove to Chicago. We went straight to the Chicago Auto Show. My husband has been going to the Auto show for 10 years in a row now and it’s my fifth auto show in a row. After that we visited our best friend and surprised her on her birthday. Hence we had an amazing and fun-filled weekend with our dear and near ones.

Those of you who couldn’t be a part of the Chicago Auto Show this year, here is a collage of pictures I had clicked:

After coming home, my mind was still on the biryani hangover. I couldn’t resist and hence called my cousin right away and took notes about the recipe. In this biryani I fried the chicken marinated with spices and combined it with the biryani masala. You get to enjoy the biryani and also the fried chicken on the same plate.

Fried Chicken Biryani Cooking Video

Fried Chicken Biryani

Step 1 Cooking Basmati Rice

Ingredients

• Basmati Rice- 2 cups
• Ginger, minced- 1 tsp
• Garlic, minced- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala ( ground cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon)- 1 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Water- 3 cups (if cooking rice in the rice cooker) or 4 cups water for cooking in a saucepan over the stovetop
• Salt- 1 tsp

Preparation

• Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
• Take the rice in a strainer & rinse under running water, keep it aside.
• If cooking in the rice cooker, you only have to add 3 cups water for 2 cups rice.
• Add water to the rice cooker pot,  add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, garam masala salt, ghee, and rinsed rice.

• Turn on the rice cooker and let the rice cook.
• Remove the rice pot from the cooker and keep it aside covered.

Cooking rice over the stovetop

• If you are cooking rice in a saucepan over the stovetop: for 2 cups of rice, 3 1/2 cups of water is required.
• Add the rice along with all other ingredients and water to the saucepan.
• Cook for 15 to 20 minutes till the water has dried out & the rice turns soft & fluffy.
• Keep the saucepan covered so that any moisture in the rice will be absorbed and the rice will be set well.

Step 2: Marinating chicken

• Chicken, bone-in-pieces- 12 pieces
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Chili powder- 2 tsp
• Fennel Powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala- 1 tsp
• Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
• Salt- 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation

• Remove the skin off the chicken, rinse the chicken in water, pat dry & add a couple of lines over the meat on each side.

• Add all the above ingredients mentioned ‘for marinating chicken’ and combine well.

• Cover the chicken and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or can be kept overnight.

Step 3: Shallow frying the Chicken

Ingredients

• Marinated chicken
• Coconut or Vegetable oil- 3/4 cup or enough for frying
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Preparation:

• Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil.
• Let the oil turn hot. Place the marinated chicken and curry leaves. Shallow fry or deep fry the chicken till both sides turn golden brown & cooked well. Make sure to flip it over and let fry on both sides.

• Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel and keep aside.

• Save the oil that’s left on the pan after frying the chicken.

Step 4: Making the Chicken Masala

Ingredients

• Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
• Ghee- 2 tbsp
• Onions, sliced thin- 5
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp (use freshly ground ginger-garlic paste)
• Green chili, halved- 3, or more depending on your spice level
• Tomatoes, chopped- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Fresh mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves
• Fried chicken- 12 pieces
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp (if you don’t have fennel, add coriander powder)
• Chili powder- 1 tsp (based on your spice level)
• Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
• Yogurt- 3 tbsp
• Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Preparation:

• Place a wide non-stick pan over medium heat, add coconut oil and ghee.
• Add onions & season with 1 tsp salt, saute until translucent for 5 minutes.

• When the onions turn translucent, add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, and curry leaves, cook till onions turn light golden in color.
• Add tomatoes and mint leaves, cook until tomatoes get mashed up.

• Keep sautéing till the onions start to turn light brown in color.
• Add chili powder, garam masala, fennel powder and 1/2 tsp salt, combine well. Taste and add salt according to your needs.
• Add the fried chicken, combine well.

• Add yogurt, lemon juice, and combine well.

• Close the pan with its lid and cook the chicken along with the onion masala for 10 minutes.
• Ensure the masala doesn’t turn brown, if too dry add 2 to 3 tbsp water and continue cooking.
• Combine everything well and remove the pan from the heat & keep it covered.

Step 5: Layering Rice and Chicken Masala

Ingredients

• Fried onions- 2 onions sliced thin and fried in the oil used for frying chicken
• Raisins, roasted in ghee- 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts, roasted in ghee- 1/2 cup
• Saffron- 15 strands soaked in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes.
• Cilantro, chopped- 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves (use fresh mint leaves)

How to Layer and Dum Cook the biryani

• Soak 2 pinches saffron in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes. Keep it aside.
• Fry 2 thinly sliced onions in the oil used for frying chicken till the onions turn golden brown. Keep aside.
• In a wide & deep baking bowl, add half of the prepared chicken masala as the bottom layer.

• Add half of the cooked rice and spread evenly over the chicken masala.

• Add half of the fried onions, half of the chopped cilantro, half of the chopped mint leaves and half of the soaked saffron on top of the rice and spread them evenly.

• Repeat this one more time, on the top layer- garnish with fried onions, cilantro, mint, roasted cashews, roasted raisins, and saffron.

Step 6: Dum cook the biryani in the oven

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Cover the bowl layered with rice and chicken masala with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the biryani rest for 30 minutes.

Dum the biryani over Stovetop 

• Layer the chicken masala and rice as mentioned above in a large non-stick cooking pot.
• Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and close the pot with its lid.
• Place the pot over the stovetop, and turn on the heat to very low.
• Dum cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat after 15 minutes and keep the biryani covered for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Serving

• While serving combine the rice and the chicken masala; serve along with Raita, Pickle, Pappadum, etc.

Tips:

• Use coconut oil for sautéing the onion, this gives a nice aroma to the biryani.
• Use fresh ingredients: ginger, garlic, green chili, mint, and cilantro.
• Fry the onions in the oil used for frying the chicken. Avoid using store-bought fried onions.
• Sprinkle fresh mint leaves over the rice layer, the aroma of mint makes the biryani taste a whole lot better.
• For making homemade fennel powder: Roast the fennel seeds or use roasted fennel seeds and grind them to a fine powder. Sieve the powder and store it in an air-tight container.

Fried Chicken Biryani

 

Print

Step 1 Making Rice

Author: Thasneen

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 5 People

Ingredients

Cooking basmati rice

• Basmati Rice- 2 cups (soaked & rinsed)
• Ginger, minced- 1 tsp
• Garlic, minced- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Garam Masala ( ground cardamom, cloves and cinnamon)- 1tsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Water- 3 cups (while cooking in a rice cooker, cooking in a saucepan over stovetop add 4 cups water)
• Salt- 1 tsp

For marinating chicken

• Chicken, bone-in pieces- 12 pieces
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Chili powder- 2 tsp (based on your spice level)
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1½ tsp
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Lemon juice- ½ tbsp
• Salt- 1 tsp

For frying chicken

• Marinated chicken
• Coconut oil or vegetable oil- ¾ cup or enough for frying
• Curry leaves- 10 leaves

For making chicken masala

• Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
• Ghee- 2 tbsp
• Onion, cut lengthwise- 5
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp (use freshly ground ginger-garlic paste)
• Green chili, cut half- 3, or depending upon your spice level
• Tomatoes, chopped- 2
• Curry leaves- 10 leaves
• Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves
• Fried chicken- 12 pieces
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Fennel powder- 1 tsp (if you don't have fennel, add coriander powder)
• Chili powder- 1 tsp (based on your spice level)
• Salt- 1½ tsp
• Yogurt- 3 tbsp
• Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Layering

• Fried onions- 2 onions sliced thin and fried in the oil used for frying chicken
• Raisins, roasted in ghee- 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts, roasted in ghee- ½ cup
• Saffron- 2 pinches soaked in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes.
• Cilantro, chopped- ¼ cup
• Mint leaves, chopped- 10 leaves (use fresh mint leaves)

Instructions

Step 1: Cooking rice

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 15 minutes.
2. Take the rice in a strainer & rinse under running water, keep it aside.
3. If cooking in the rice cooker, you only have to add 3 cups water for 2 cups rice.
4. Add water to the rice cooker pot, add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic, garam masala salt, ghee, and rinsed rice.
5. Turn on the rice cooker and let the rice cook.
6. Remove the rice pot from the cooker and keep it aside covered.
7. Cooking rice over the stovetop
8. If you are cooking rice in a saucepan over the stovetop: for 2 cups of rice, 3½ cups of water is required.
9. Add the rice along with all other ingredients and water to the saucepan.
10. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes till the water has dried out & the rice turns soft & fluffy.
11. Keep the saucepan covered so that any moisture in the rice will be absorbed and the rice will be set well.

Step 2: Marinating chicken

1. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil.
2. Let the oil turn hot. Place the marinated chicken and curry leaves. Shallow fry or deep fry the chicken till both sides turn golden brown & cooked well. Make sure to flip it over and let fry on both sides.
3. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel and keep aside.
4. Save the oil that's left on the pan after frying the chicken.

Step 3: Frying the chicken

1. Place a frying pan over medium heat, add oil.
2. Let oil turn hot.
3. Place the marinated chicken and add the curry leaves.
4. Shallow fry or deep fry the chicken till both sides turn golden brown & cooked well. Make sure to flip it over and let fry on both sides.
5. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel and keep aside.
6. Save the oil that's left on the pan after frying the chicken.

Step 4: Making chicken masala

1. Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium heat, add coconut oil and ghee.
2. Add onions & season with ½ tsp salt, saute until translucent- 5 minutes.
3. When the onions turn translucent, add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and curry leaves, saute till onions turn golden in color.
4. Add tomatoes and mint leaves, cook until tomatoes get mashed up.
5. Keep sautéing till the onions start to turn light brown in color.
6. Add the garam masala, fennel powder, chili powder and ½ tsp salt.
7. Taste and add salt according to your needs.
8. Add the fried chicken, combine well.
9. Add yogurt, lemon juice and combine well.
10. Cover the pan with its lid and cook the chicken along with the onion masala for 15 minutes.
11. Ensure the masala doesn't dry up, if too dry add 2 to 3 tbsp water and continue cooking.
12. Combine everything well and remove the pan from the heat & keep covered.

Step 5: Layering rice and chicken masala

1. Soak 15 strands of saffron in 2 tbsp water for 5 minutes. Keep aside.
2. Fry 2 thinly sliced onions in the oil used for frying chicken till onions turn golden brown. Keep aside.
3. In a wide and deep baking bowl, spread half of the prepared chicken masala as the bottom layer.
4. Add half of the cooked rice, spread evenly on top of the chicken masala.
5. Add half of the fried onions, half of the chopped cilantro, half of the chopped mint leaves and half of the soaked saffron on top of the rice and spread them evenly.
6. Repeat this one more time and on top layer-garnish with fried onions, cilantro, mint, roasted cashews, roasted raisins and saffron.

Step 6: How to dum cook biryani in the oven- Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Cover the bowl layered with rice and chicken masala tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and keep it covered for 30 minutes.

Dum cook biryani in a saucepan over stovetop

1. Layer the chicken masala and rice as mentioned above in a large non-stick cooking pot.
2. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and close the pan with its lid.
3. Place the pot over stove top, turn on the heat to very low.
4. Dum cook for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and keep covered for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Serving

1. While serving combine the rice and the chicken masala; serve along with Raita, Pickle, Pappadum etc.

Notes

Use coconut oil for sautéing the onions, coconut oil imparts a nice aroma to the biryani.
Use fresh ingredients: ginger, garlic, green chili, mint and cilantro.
Fry the onions in the oil used for frying the chicken. Avoid using store bought fried onions.
Sprinkle fresh mint leaves over the rice layer, the aroma of mint makes the biryani taste a whole lot better.
For making homemade fennel powder: Roast the fennel seeds or use roasted fennel seeds and grind to a fine powder. Sieve the powder and store it in an air-tight container.

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