Hyderabadi Biryani

🛒 Ingredients

• Chicken (bone-in, cut into pieces) 500 g · 825 kcal
• Basmati Rice (uncooked) 300 g · 1080 kcal
• Plain Yogurt (full-fat) 150 g · 90 kcal
• Onions (sliced) 300 g · 120 kcal
• Ginger-Garlic Paste 30 g · 24 kcal
• Green Chillies (slit) 15 g · 6 kcal
• Fresh Mint Leaves 15 g · 11 kcal
• Fresh Coriander Leaves 15 g · 3 kcal
• Lemon Juice 15 g · 3 kcal
• Ghee 50 g · 450 kcal
• Saffron threads (soaked in milk) 31 g · 2 kcal
• Vegetable Oil (for frying onions, absorbed) 40 g · 360 kcal
• Whole Spices (bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick) 5 g · 15 kcal
• Ground Spices (turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala) 20 g · 60 kcal

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes, then drain. Marinate chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, fresh mint, coriander, lemon juice, ground spices, whole spices, and half of the salt for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, spread the marinated chicken mixture evenly at the bottom. Heat ghee and the absorbed vegetable oil, then fry the sliced onions until deeply golden brown and crispy; set aside some for garnish and layer the rest over the chicken.
3. In a separate pot, bring a large quantity of water to a rolling boil. Add remaining whole spices and salt to the water, then add the soaked rice and cook until it is about 70-80% done (al dente).
4. Gently layer the partially cooked rice over the chicken and fried onions in the pot. Sprinkle saffron-infused milk evenly over the rice, along with some more fresh mint and coriander leaves.
5. Seal the pot tightly with a lid, preferably by applying a dough seal around the rim (dum cooking method). Cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes, allowing the biryani to steam and flavors to meld.
6. Once cooked, remove from heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before opening the lid. Gently fluff the biryani with a fork, mixing the chicken and rice layers. Garnish with remaining fried onions and fresh herbs, then serve hot with raita.