Mama's Chicken Biryani
Mama's Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
For the Biryani Base
- 3 onions, full, sliced
- 1/4 cup mint, chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- 2 green chilies, plus more as needed
- 2 potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks, submerged in water
- 1 can diced tomatoes, Great Value No Salt Added, puréed
- 1 kg chicken, washed, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf, large
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 pack Shan Sindhi Biryani Recipe & Seasoning Mix, 60g / 2.11 oz
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil, for frying onions
For the Rice
- 4 cups basmati rice, soaked
- 1 tablespoon salt, for boiling water
For Layering
- 1/4 teaspoon food coloring, red or orange, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- 1
Slice the 3 full onions. Chop the mint and cilantro. Prepare the initial 2 green chilies, and have more ready if desired. Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks, then submerge them in water to prevent browning. Soak the 4 cups of basmati rice in a separate bowl.
⏱️ 15 min
- 2
Purée the can of diced tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of yogurt with the entire pack of Shan Sindhi Biryani Masala, mixing well.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Fry the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are deeply browned and crispy. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
Remove about 1/3 of the browned onions from the pot and set them aside to use as a garnish later. To the remaining onions in the pot, add the 2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Add the puréed tomatoes to the pot. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste), and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the water evaporates, the oil separates and comes to the top, and the mixture thickens. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 6
Add the washed chicken pieces to the tomato mixture. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds and the 1 large bay leaf. Sauté the chicken until it turns white on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min
- 7
Gradually add the yogurt-masala mixture to the chicken, stirring continuously to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Once fully incorporated, add the 1/2 cup of water and the drained potato chunks. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the oil again separates and comes to the top. Add the green chilies during the last 5 minutes of simmering.
⏱️ 25 min
- 8
While the chicken and potatoes are simmering, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook the rice until it is 2/3 cooked (al dente) – it should be pliable but still have a slight bite. This usually takes 5-7 minutes. Drain the rice immediately.
⏱️ 10 min
- 9
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In the same large pot used for boiling the rice (or another large, oven-safe pot), begin layering the biryani. First, spread a layer of the chicken and potato gravy at the bottom of the pot.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 350
- 10
Next, evenly spread half of the par-cooked rice over the gravy. Sprinkle half of the chopped mint and cilantro over this rice layer.
⏱️ 2 min
- 11
Add the remaining chicken and potato gravy over the rice, mint, and cilantro layer. Sprinkle the remaining chopped mint and cilantro over this gravy layer.
⏱️ 2 min
- 12
Top with the remaining rice, spreading it evenly. Garnish with the reserved fried onions. Drizzle the dissolved red or orange food coloring over various spots on the rice.
⏱️ 3 min
- 13
Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil, then place the lid on top. Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking through 'dum' (steam).
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 350
- 14
Carefully remove the biryani from the oven. Let it rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes before gently fluffing with a fork and serving hot.
⏱️ 10 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Mama's Chicken Biryani
For the Biryani Base
- 3 onions, full, sliced
- 1/4 cup mint, chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- 2 green chilies, plus more as needed
- 2 potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks, submerged in water
- 1 can diced tomatoes, Great Value No Salt Added, puréed
- 1 kg chicken, washed, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf, large
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 pack Shan Sindhi Biryani Recipe & Seasoning Mix, 60g / 2.11 oz
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil, for frying onions
For the Rice
- 4 cups basmati rice, soaked
- 1 tablespoon salt, for boiling water
For Layering
- 1/4 teaspoon food coloring, red or orange, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- 1
Slice the 3 full onions. Chop the mint and cilantro. Prepare the initial 2 green chilies, and have more ready if desired. Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks, then submerge them in water to prevent browning. Soak the 4 cups of basmati rice in a separate bowl.
⏱️ 15 min - 2
Purée the can of diced tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of yogurt with the entire pack of Shan Sindhi Biryani Masala, mixing well.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Fry the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are deeply browned and crispy. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min - 4
Remove about 1/3 of the browned onions from the pot and set them aside to use as a garnish later. To the remaining onions in the pot, add the 2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Add the puréed tomatoes to the pot. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste), and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the water evaporates, the oil separates and comes to the top, and the mixture thickens. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 6
Add the washed chicken pieces to the tomato mixture. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds and the 1 large bay leaf. Sauté the chicken until it turns white on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min - 7
Gradually add the yogurt-masala mixture to the chicken, stirring continuously to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Once fully incorporated, add the 1/2 cup of water and the drained potato chunks. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the oil again separates and comes to the top. Add the green chilies during the last 5 minutes of simmering.
⏱️ 25 min - 8
While the chicken and potatoes are simmering, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook the rice until it is 2/3 cooked (al dente) – it should be pliable but still have a slight bite. This usually takes 5-7 minutes. Drain the rice immediately.
⏱️ 10 min - 9
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In the same large pot used for boiling the rice (or another large, oven-safe pot), begin layering the biryani. First, spread a layer of the chicken and potato gravy at the bottom of the pot.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 350 - 10
Next, evenly spread half of the par-cooked rice over the gravy. Sprinkle half of the chopped mint and cilantro over this rice layer.
⏱️ 2 min - 11
Add the remaining chicken and potato gravy over the rice, mint, and cilantro layer. Sprinkle the remaining chopped mint and cilantro over this gravy layer.
⏱️ 2 min - 12
Top with the remaining rice, spreading it evenly. Garnish with the reserved fried onions. Drizzle the dissolved red or orange food coloring over various spots on the rice.
⏱️ 3 min - 13
Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil, then place the lid on top. Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking through 'dum' (steam).
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 350 - 14
Carefully remove the biryani from the oven. Let it rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes before gently fluffing with a fork and serving hot.
⏱️ 10 min