Among the various biryanis prepared across India, Chicken Biryani Hyderabadi style has a special place in our heart. After all, who does a biryani better than the denizens of Hyderabad? So we invite you to the Yummefy kitchen to cook along with us, the famous chicken biryani Hyderabadi style.
Our chicken biryani recipe is made by layering marinated chicken and half boiled rice flavoured with whole spices and cooking them together on dum. Dum is a technique where the biryani is sealed in a vessel, and heat is applied from both the bottom and the top, allowing the chicken biryani ingredients to cook slowly. The flavours and aromas or the breath (dum) of the rice, chicken, and masalas intermingle and intensify for a superbly delicious result.
Start making this chicken biryani dish by preparing the biryani masala powder with cloves (laung), cinnamon, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, and black cumin seeds (shahi jjeera). Set it aside and make the marinade – mix yogurt, onion paste, garlic and ginger pastes, deseeded fresh green chillies, fresh lime juice, and salt. Add the masala powder to the marinade, mix well and add boneless chicken, thighs and breasts. Coat well, cover and let the marinated chicken stand for about two to six hours (the longer the better).
A biryani is not just a treat for the tastebuds but for all the senses. While the chicken or mutton is marinated in a variety of spices and aromatics that lend their flavours to the final biryani dish, the rice also plays an important role in bringing flavour to the biryani. And of course, the birista or fried onions, ghee, and saffron add their essence to the final dish.
We recommend you wash and soak good quality basmati rice in water for 15 minutes so that it elongates to its maximum length upon cooking. Drain the rice and place it in a pot with water and aromatic whole spices like cloves, green cardamom pods, cinnamon, bay leaf, and salt. Stir to mix, then cover with a lid and simmer until the rice is half cooked. Drain the water and set the rice aside to cool before layering it with the marinated chicken.
Our chicken biryani recipe calls for two to six hours of marination time. We must add that the longer the marination time, the more flavourful your biryani will turn out to be. If you want, you can prep the masala powders and marinate the chicken a night ahead for a smooth lunch service the next day.
Also, prepare the birista or browned onions and soak the saffron stands in warm milk and keep aside. To follow our tasty chicken biryani recipe perfectly and make this chicken biryani well, we suggest that you watch our instructional video which details the process for you, step by step.
While Hyderabadi Biryani is considered to be one of the finest in the country (and we think that this is one of the best chicken biryani recipe that one can find), nearly every region in India lays claim to the ‘best’ biryani in the country. You will come across many varieties of biryani as you travel across the country. There is the Hyderabadi Mutton Dum Biryani (as well as several other versions from Hyderabad), the Dum Pukht Biryani from Lucknow, Kolkata Biryani with mutton and potatoes from West Bengal, Prawn Biryani from the west coast of India, Moplah Fish Biryani from Kerala, and Ambur Mutton Biryani from Tamil Nadu among many, many others.
Chicken Biryani is a layered and aromatic rice and chicken dish which tastes absolutely divine. It gets its aromatic taste from the combination of long-grained basmati rice and ghee, from the whole and powdered spices used therein along with saffron milk which adds a hint of floral to the dish, as well as herbs such as mint and coriander.
Chicken biryani is usually the star of the dining table and is eaten with simple accompaniments such as a raita and a kachumbar or chopped salad. You could also serve mirchi ka salan and baghare baingan on the side, finished off with Khubani ka Meetha to turn your meal into a Hyderabadi affair. Biryani can be eaten for lunch or dinner. Garnish your chicken biryani with mint leaves and sliced almonds. You could also add some birista (fried onions) on top. While serving the biryani it is important to cut through the layers so that each serving gets an equal proportion of meat and rice.
Try this easy chicken biryanii recipe Hyderabadi style at home. Learn how to make this recipe with our step by step chicken biryani recipe video above.
And see all our Chicken Recipes right here!
Or If you have an interest in learning about Indian cuisine, read our guide to Traditional Indian Cooking Techniques.