Chicken Tikka Biryani

Chicken Tikka Biryani

- Serves 6

Biryani, to me, defines Indian food. Originally brought into India by the Moguls in the form of Persian Pilaf, the chefs of the empire fused it with Indian Pulav, and it evolved into this luxurious blend of spiced meat and basmati rice. There are now multiple versions of this dish, depending on which state in India you are in, "Hyderabadi Dum Biryani" being the most famous. 

My recipe here is that of a more modern version, Chicken Tikka Biryani, where chunks of succulent tandoori chicken are steamed with aromatic basmati rice, rose water, quality garam masala, raisins and nuts. Traditionally, the steaming process involves cooking layers of chicken and spice-infused rice on very low fire. However, I have taken a more modern approach here, and baked it in the oven instead, resulting in faster and more even distribution of heat. 

There are five steps to this recipe: marinating chicken tikka, cooking rice, pan-frying or grilling chicken, making the sauce, and putting together biryani. Remember to make the marinade a day ahead or at least 8 hours before cooking, as you do want to give your chicken enough time to absorb all those wonderful flavors from the spices. The recipe is quite simple and easy to follow,  just a little time-consuming - a labor of love and patience, but sooooooo worth the effort.

A few things to remember:
1. Use good salt and use it liberally - the chicken, the rice and the sauce all need to be seasoned very well. My quantities here are based on pink salt, but you should know your salt well, and can add more or less as per your own palate.

2. Quality garam masala is key to this dish. Either make your own (I have the recipe included in my cookbook) or buy the best organic garam masala you can find. It should smell of cardamoms and cloves, and not like fennel.

3. The most prized part in biryani is the golden-crusty bit at the bottom, much like socarat in Spanish Paella and Persian Tahdig. Once cooked, use the back of the spoon to carefully scrape the bottom of the pan. If it doesn't feel crusty enough, cover and leave the pan on medium flame for five minutes, and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.

4. I have pan-fried my chicken tikka here for ease, however grilling chicken on hot coals takes this recipe to a whole new level. 

Enjoy the recipe and video for this "out-of-this-world" Chicken Tikka Biryani! And as always, leave any questions you may have in comments below. ​

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Chicken Tikka Biryani Recipe Video

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Ingredients
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For rice​

​3 cups or 420g good quality basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 1 hour

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2-3 liters water

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1 tablespoon salt

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1 tablespoon ghee

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1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed

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1 inch piece cinnamon stick

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8 cloves

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2 bay leaves

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4-6 green cardamoms, cracked

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2 black cardamoms

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2 large cloves garlic, crushed
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For curry sauce​

3 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

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​400g red onion, sliced

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3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or pounded

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2 green chili padis, finely chopped or pounded (use red chili padi for spicier Biryani)

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1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped or pounded

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1 teaspoon cumin

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300g fresh tomatoes, chopped

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1 tablespoon coriander powder

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1/2 teaspoon turmeric

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1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or to taste)

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1 teaspoon salt

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1 teaspoon Garam masala

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1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

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1/4 cup chopped cashews

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1/4 cup raisins

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2 tablespoons melted butter

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About 15 strands of saffron soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk (OR 1 teaspoon organic rose water extract)

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3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered - for garnish

Recipe
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Chicken Tikka

1Start with marinating chicken for Chicken Tikka. Before frying chicken, remember to bring it back to room temperature by leaving it on your counter for about an hour before cooking. Next, pan-fry chicken in batches, for 2-3 minutes on each side, just until golden brown.

​​Rice

1Rinse basmati rice and soak in a few cups of water for an hour.

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2Place cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, green and black cardamoms, and crushed garlic in a soup bag. Place soaked rice and 2L water in a saucepan. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, ghee and salt, stir. Throw in the soup bag and cook rice for about 10 minutes until almost done but still retains a slight bite to it. Discard spices in the soup bag, drain rice in a colander and set aside.

​​Sauce and Biryani

1Soak saffron strands in warm milk for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can use organic rose water extract.

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2Heat oil in an ovenproof saucepan or a Dutch oven; add cumin seeds and sliced onions. Fry on medium-high heat until onions turn crispy brown. Drain and set aside half of the onions on a kitchen towel to cool.

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3To remaining onions, add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies. Stir-fry for about a minute, then add chopped tomatoes followed by coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric and salt.

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4Next, add chicken tikka, and stir-fry for about 8-10 minutes until tomatoes are pulpy and the sauce is thick.

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5Preheat your oven to 180°C

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6Spread basmati rice evenly on top of the chicken in the saucepan.

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7Sprinkle garam masala evenly all over rice, followed by cashews, raisins, fried onions, and mint leaves. Pour melted butter all over.

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8Pour milk and saffron (or rose water extract) evenly all over.

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9Make a few holes in rice and chicken mixture using the back of a spoon for steam to rise. Cover tightly with aluminum foil followed by the lid.

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10Place in the oven for 45 minutes, until fully cooked.

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11Mix gently before serving. Serve hot garnished with quartered boiled eggs.

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