Authentic Pakistani Chicken Biryani SIMPLIFIED!

A masalaydaar Pakistani Chicken Biryani simplified, tested, and retested to create a Classic Karachi style Biryani that delivers authentic flavours without spice packets or bits of whole spices in your mouth!

Karachi & Biryani

I may have mentioned this once or twice, but I am originally from Karachi, that raucous addictive city by the sea which we firmly believe has some of the best food in the country. Are we biased? Maybe. While I am willing to make that minor concession, I am firmly wedded to the belief that we do Biryani best.

The iconic Karachi biryani eatery for Biryani is Student Biryani, it is where my father grew up getting Biryani and where his daughter would get it for work lunches. Other Biryanis have gained immense popularity over the years while Student Biryanis inconsistency mirrors the Pakistani cricket teams – wowing sometimes, soul crushing other times. Wherever you get your Biryani there are some commonalities.

1. Kararapan: a distinctly savory almost sour quality
2. The rice is a mix of colours – whereas the origin of the coloring comes from saffron student biryani aint buying that in bulk so food color it is
3. They are flavorful, not just hit you on the head spicy, but flavorful and this my friend brings me to my lament.
   

   The Influence of Masala Packets

   They are so handy aren’t they? Just follow the instructions and you are on your way. I have used them often myself, but over time as I became more and more confident in my cooking skills they have wound up on the back of the top shelf which my 5′ 3″ self can’t reach. While I absolutely get their appeal I do think nothing beats homemade.

   This funny thing has happened though where boxed biryanis have changed our sense of what a biryani should be like. It has gone from being a dish with many layers of flavour to being primarily mirchein and salt and an overwhelming amount of masala.

   Problem solving:

   A long time ago I asked my instagram family what they were looking for in a biryani and they said

   • No whole spices
   • Easy to make
   • Aloo
   • Simplifying making the rice
   • A briyani that isnt dry
   • All the spices are ground together except for the ones in the rice (I have a fix for that)
   • Easy process – marinade, sauté, cook, layer.
   • Generous amounts of Aloo
   • Rice boiled in the most forgiving way
   • Moist masala thanks to yoghurt & tomatoes

     It occurred to me a little while ago that I had never had biryani with visible onions (apart from a garnish). With mutton and beef the cooking time is long so the onions can meld away, but with Chicken that isn’t the case.

     The Chicken

     The taste experience of fresh masala powder provides a chicken that emits smoky and spicy flavors with ultimate palatability. The blending process requires just minutes then you will spend most of your time retrieving ingredients from your cabinets before reaching a smoothly combined mixture that creates superb depth of flavor. The chicken becomes tender through the addition of yoghurt which simultaneously enhances the biryani masala during cooking. A small amount of yoghurt goes in for texture consistency and it stays moist from the olive oil even when the measure is limited.

     

     Authentic Pakistani Chicken Biryani SIMPLIFIED!

     Equipment

     • 1 saute pan for cooking the chicken
     • 1 pot for the rice
     Ingredients

     Biryani Masala for Chicken

     • 1 inch piece cinnamon stick
     • 1 black cardamom
     • 2.5 tsp red chili powder (cayene)
     • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
     • ½ tbsp bhunna zeera (roasted cumin powder) can sub with cumin seeds
     • 1 tbsp bhunna dhania (roasted coriander powder) can sub with seeds, but try to dry roast first!
     • 1 tsp black peppercorns (sabut kaali mirch)
     • 6 cloves
     • 1 tsp salt
     • ⅛ tsp powdered mace can sub with a small piece of mace
     • ⅛ tsp powdered nutmeg can cub with a small piece of nutmeg, but you’ll have to break it first!

     Chicken Masala

     • 2 lbs bone in chicken (1 lb for boneless)
     • 3 tbsp lemon juice (half a lemon)
     • ¼ cup yoghurt
     • 2 tbsp olive oil
     • 1 tbsp green chili paste
     • 1 tbsp garlic paste
     • 1 tbsp ginger paste
     • 3 diced tomatoes
     • 2 potatoes cut into thick wedges
     • Lemon Juice OR 5-6 dried aloo bukharay

     Rice

     • 2.5 cups long grain basmati rice
     • 2.5 tbsp salt (if using the excess water method)
     • 1 tsp vinegar
     • 1 tsp black pepper corns
     • 1 tsp cumin seeds
     • 1-2 green chilies

     Layering Mix

     • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
     • ¼ cup chopped mint
     • 3-5 green chilies cut long or in rounds
     • 1 tsp food coloring dissolved in a 2 tbsp milk
     • 1 tsp kewra or biryani essence
     • slices of lemon and/or tomatoes

     Instructions

     Chicken Masala

     • Take all the ingredients listed in Biryani Masala and grind them to a powder. A small taste should give you a mix that’s spicy and punchy!
     • Marinate the chicken in the biryani masala, lemon juice, olive oil, yoghurt, and green chili paste for at least 30 minutes.
     • Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large saute pan and add your ginger and garlic pastes and cook on medium high heat until they no longer smell raw – about a minute.
     • Now add your diced tomatoes and cook, sauteing occasionally until the excess water dries and the oil rises above the tomatoes.
     • Stir in your marinated chicken, sauteing until the color changes.
     • Add your potatoes, aloo bukharay (if using), half a cup of water, cover the pot, and bring it to a simmer, cooking for 25 minutes or so or until the chicken is tender. Check on it halfway through to see if the masala is sticking (add more water if it is), but otherwise there’s no need to disturb it.
     • After the chicken becomes tender you should increase heat to evaporate remaining moisture until the oil covers the masala before turning off the stove. I mix half of my green masala including mint and cilantro with chilies together with lemon juice at this time.

     Rice

     • Rinse your basmati rice until the water runs clear and soak it for at least 30 minutes. We will start on the rice halfway through the chicken cooking time.
     • During the tenth minute of chicken preparation simmer a giant pot containing water, vinegar and flavorings along with salt. You can use either a tea ball to put your whole pepper together with your cumin seeds and chilies or you can tie them in a muslin cloth or boil the water with straining afterward to avoid introducing whole spices to your chicken.
     • Once the water comes to a boil, drain and add your rice, cook for 6.5-7.5 minutes until the rice is almost cooked through. It shouldn’t be soft, but should break under slight pressure. Strain immediately.
       
     • Taste and adjust seasoning, remember this masala will flavour the rice too!

     Layering

     • Place half your rice at the bottom of the pot you used to cook it
       
     • Spoon over your chicken masala, your remaining mint, cilantro and chilies.
     • Cover with the remaining rice
       
     • Before placing the lid cover the mixture with kewra essence drops then rice coloring then slice the lemon or tomato along with extra cilantro leaves above the surface. You need to close any vent found on your lid.
       
     • Let it sit at the lowest heat on your stovetop for 20-25 minutes and then carefully fluff and serve with raita and kachumbar.