Chicken Biryani served in a white bowl

Chicken Biryani Recipe

By Swasthi on September 2, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Chicken Biryani Recipe in 2 ways! Make the ultimate Biryani in homestyle and restaurant styles. Biryani is a celebratory rice and meat dish cherished in the Indian sub-continent. A traditional biryani consists of fluffy basmati rice layered over tender & succulent pieces of meat, accompanied with the mesmerizing aromas of spices, herbs & caramelized onions.

Chicken Biryani served in a white bowl

In this post I show you how to make an aromatic, delicious and the best Chicken Biryani, not in one but 2 ways – Homestyle and restaurant style.

About Biryani

Biryani is one of the most popular rice dishes & traditionally it is cooked adapting the process of dum pukht, meaning “steam cooked over low fire”.

The traditional process of Chicken Biryani starts by marinating meat in yogurt along with spices and herbs. The raw/uncooked marinated meat is layered at the bottom of a wide pot followed by another layer of par cooked basmati rice, herbs, saffron infused milk, fried onions and ghee or attar (edible essential oil).

The pot is sealed to trap the steam and is dum cooked on a low heat for the most tender and flavorsome dish.

This is known as Kachi Biryani & I have shared that traditional Hyderabadi biryani here. Cooking this kind of a biryani requires a bit of expertise and understanding the dum pukht method correctly.

It is believed that Persians introduced Biryani to the Indians and this royal delicacy once upon a time was a luxurious treat made during special occasions.

However over the decades, the popularity of Biryani has grown to the extent that we eat it more often, whenever the Biryani cravings kick-in.

Innovative home cooks and chefs have come-up with many new and easier methods to cook biryani, as a result pakki biryani and my one pot biryani shared below came into existence.

chicken biryani in restaurant style

About My Chicken Biryani

As mentioned earlier I share 2 recipes here and both the recipes use the same ingredients but the quantities vary slightly due to the difference in the cooking methods.

The first method is a one pot biryani and you can cook this in a pressure cooker or in a regular pot. In this recipe, we cook the marinated meat and layer the uncooked rice. Pour hot water and cook to perfection.

The second method is known as pakki dum biryani, where you cook the marinated meat with aromatics and make a gravy first. Meanwhile you par cook the rice and layer that over the chicken gravy.

Cover and cook on dum/steam for a short time to infuse the flavors of spices and herbs. Tada! Your best restaurant style Chicken Biryani is ready!

Both these recipes yield a chicken biryani that isn’t too oily, spicy, hot or pungent as it looks to be in the pictures. However you can reduce the amount of red chili powder if you do not prefer the heat. Biryani is best served with a RaitaShorbalassi and papads.

A biryani is judged by 3 things

  1. Masala/ flavors – so use a good biryani masala (recipe below) or garam masala.
  2. The quality of rice – use aged basmati rice or aged premium quality short grain rice like jeerakasala.
  3. The tenderness of meat – so always marinate chicken in yogurt and spices.

Biryani Masala Powder

You can use a good store bought biryani masala or garam masala. I prefer to use homemade biryani masala which I am sharing below. If you want you may use this or use your favorite store bought masala.

  • 1 to 2 bay leaf
  • 1 star anise
  • 10 to 12 green cardamoms
  • 2 two inch piece cinnamon – 2 grams
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 cloves
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera, sub with cumin)
  • 2 strands of mace (I use half of a small mace, it may be strong for others)
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

On a low to medium heat, dry roast bay leaf, star anise, green and black cardamoms, mace and cinnamon stick for 1 to 2 mins, until slightly fragrant. Add cloves, fennel, caraway and black pepper. Roast for another 1 to 2 mins on a low heat, until aromatic. Add nutmeg and turn off. Cool and make a fine powder.

You can make this ahead or make a large batch and transfer to an air tight glass/ steel jar. Store in the refrigerator for 2 months.

More Biryani recipes
Hyderabadi biryani
Chicken dum biryani
Chettinad biryani
Mutton Biryani

How to make Chicken Biryani (Recipe 1 Stepwise photos)

Preparation – Marination

1. This recipe needs half kg chicken (1.1 lbs.). Make few slits on all the chicken pieces and add to a large bowl. Then add

  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (Indian curd)
  • 1¼ tablespoons ginger garlic paste
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon garam masala (or biriyani masala)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder (reduce for kids)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
adding spice powders to marinate

2. Mix everything well and marinate the chicken. Cover and set this aside for 1 hour. You can also rest it overnight in the fridge.

resting marinade to make chicken biryani

3. Meanwhile add 2 cups basmati rice to a large pot and rinse it at least thrice. Drain and soak in fresh water for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins. Optional – Soak a pinch of saffron strands in 2 tablespoons hot milk.

soaking basmati rice

Cook Chicken

4. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker. Make sure you use a large one for this. Using whole spices is optional but recommended. Use whatever you have. I use

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon piece
  • 1 star anise
  • ¾ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
  • 1 strand mace (optional, omit if you don’t like)
frying spices in pot to make chicken biryani

5. Add thinly sliced onions. On a medium heat, fry them stirring often until uniformly light brown.

6. This is the correct color of the onions. Do not burn them as they leave a bitter taste. (check video)

golden fried onions

7. Add marinated chicken & saute until it becomes pale for 5 minutes.

adding marinade to make chicken biryani

8. Lower the flame completely. Cover and cook until the chicken is soft, tender and completely cooked.

cooking covered until meat is tender

9. Check if the chicken is cooked by pricking with a fork or knife. It has to be just cooked and not overdone. Evaporate any excess moisture left in the pot by cooking further without the lid.

check if the chicken is cooked

10. Taste test and add more salt if needed. I added ¼ more salt here. Add

  • ¼ cup plain yogurt (Indian curd)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (or biryani masala)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
  • 1 slit green chili pepper (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (pudina)
adding curd spices to make chicken biryani

Make Chicken Biryani

11. Mix everything well. Spread it evenly in a single layer.

layering the marinade in pot to make chicken biryani

12. Layer drained rice all over the chicken. To a separate pot, pour 3 cups water and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt. If cooking in a pot (not cooker), start with 3 cups water at this stage.

Stir and taste the water. It must be slightly salty. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Pour 2 cups of this hot water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Pour rest of the water over the rice gently. (check video)

layering rice and pouring water to make chicken biryani

13. Level the rice gently on top. Add 2 tablespoons more mint leaves.Do not mix up everything, the taste of the biryani cooked in the shown method is good. Optionally you can sprinkle 2 tablespoons fried onions & saffron soaked milk.

adding fried onions mint

14. Finally cover the pot or cooker.
If cooking in a pot, cook on a medium heat until the rice is cooked completely. If the rice is undercooked & there is no more water left at the bottom of the pot, pour ¼ to ½ cup boiling water at this stage. How much water to add depends on the quality of basmati rice. Cook covered until the biryani rice is perfectly done, grainy and fully cooked. Rest it covered for 15 mins.
If cooking in a cooker, cook until you hear 1 whistle. Later remove the cooker from the hot burner to stop cooking further.

pressure cooking chicken biryani

15. When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid. Gently fluff up with a fork.

fluffing up cooked chicken biryani

Serve chicken biryani in layers – top layer with rice and bottom layer with chicken. Enjoy with raita or shorba.

Troubleshooting

Towards the end if the rice is under cooked, you can sprinkle little hot water & cook covered further.

chicken biryani recipe

Restaurant style Chicken Biryani (Recipe 2 Stepwise Photos)

Time taken:1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients (serves 3)

To make fried onions
¼ cup oil (I use organic steam refined coconut oil)
2 cups (200 grams) sliced onions
To Marinate
½ cup yogurt/curd (fresh, not sour)
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1½ tablespoon Ginger Garlic grated or paste (both in equal quantities)
1 green chili deseeded and slit (leave out for low heat)
1½ tablespoons oil (may use fried onion oil)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ to ¾ tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1¼ tablespoon Biryani masala (recipe in the post intro, or use store bought biryani/garam masala)
½ tablespoon coriander powder
¼ tablespoon roasted cumin powder (leave out if using homemade biryani masala)
2 tablespoons mint leaves fine chopped
2 tablespoons coriander leaves fine chopped (optional)
1.1 lbs. chicken (½ kg, skinless bone-in or boneless, large pieces such as thighs, drumsticks, legs or breast)
To cook rice
1½ cups premium aged basmati rice
½ tablespoon oil
¾ to 1 tablespoon salt
4 cardamoms
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 inch cinnamon
1 star anise
¼ tsp shahi jeera
½ mace
To layer
1 pinch (10 to 12) saffron strands or natural orange food color as needed
2 tablespoons hot milk + 2 tablespoons hot water
1 to 2 pinches biryani masala or garam masala
1 to 2 tbsps mint and coriander leaves
1½ tbsps melted ghee or a few drops of organic attar stirred with ghee

Instructions (Stepwise Photos)

This 1x recipe makes 3 servings. I made 2x recipe so you will see more quantities in the pictures.

Make golden onions (takes 22 mins)

1. Wash and peel the onion. Slice them medium thin and even so they fry evenly. Cut & discard the basal plate of the onion so the slices separate. Measure the slices to make them 2 cups.

2. Pour ¼ cup oil to a wide pan/Dutch oven and heat it on a medium flame. Add the onions and sauté constantly on a medium heat, until they turn evenly golden to light brown, but not deep brown or burnt. It takes me about 13 to 14 minutes for this entire task. 7 mins on a medium heat, 4 mins on a low heat and 2 to 3 mins with the stove turned off. However this can vary for you.

3. Remove them to a plate & cool completely. They will turn darker after cooling so do not over fry them as they turn bitter in a few seconds.

4. This step is optional. A lot of people prefer to use this fried onion oil in the marinade as it is flavored. But I discard the oil in the pot/ Dutch oven. I also prefer to squeeze out the excess oil from the fried onions using fingers. Pat them well with kitchen tissues to remove most of the oil. Once done they look like seen in the pictures below. This makes ½ cup (8 tbsps) golden onions.

Marinate Chicken (takes 18 mins)

I use the same pot/ Dutch oven to fry onions, marinate and then cook the biryani. But it is important to cool it down before preparing the marinade.

5. Mix together yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic, green chili, oil, salt, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, biryani masala (or garam masala), coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix all the ingredients well and taste test for salt and spice/heat. Adjust of required.

6. Add chicken. I also make gashes over the larger pieces of chicken. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator. Keep it covered while it marinates.

Make the gravy (takes 20 mins)

7. Saute chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on a medium heat.

8. Reserve 2 tablespoons brown onions for later and add the rest here (about 6 tbsps). Pour ¼ cup hot water and mix well.

9. Cover and cook on a medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the size and kind of chicken used, organic and bone-in chicken takes longer). Chicken should be almost cooked through (95% cooked). Turn off the heat.

Cook Rice (15 mins, can multi-task to save time)

10. While your chicken gravy cooks, rinse rice well thrice and soak for a minimum of 15 mins (if required, read instructions on your rice pack). Pour 6 cups of water to a large pot and add the following whole spices. You don’t need all of them add whatever you have in hand. Cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise, shahi jeera and ½ mace.

11. Bring the water to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium (keep it boiling), cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. If you don’t like whole spices in your biryani, optionally fish out as many spices as you want at this stage using a spider. Discard or save some for garnish.

12. Pour oil and add drained rice & salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil again and cook on high heat for 5 mins, until 90% done. Rice should be firm, almost cooked but have a bite to it and not fully cooked. When you press down the rice grain it should break and not turn mushy. Drain to a colander immediately.

Make Chicken Biryani (Layer the biryani) 30 mins

13. Soak saffron strands or natural orange food color as needed in 2 tablespoons hot milk + 2 tablespoons hot water (or rice cooked water). Also prepare 2 tbsps chopped mint/coriander leaves, 2 tbsps fried onions, 1 to 2 pinches biryani masala and ghee.

14. Before you layer the rice over the chicken, do check the following points:

  • The gravy should be thick yet of pouring consistency (not runny & not dropping consistency)
  • It is essential for the chicken gravy and the pot to be hot.
  • The cooked rice needs to be steaming hot.
  • If the above points are not met, your dum cook time (steaming time will be different)

15. Give a good stir and spread the chicken in the pot evenly. This is the right consistency.

16. Layer 1 tablespoon brown onions and then rice all over the chicken. Sprinkle 1 to 2 pinches biryani masala, mint coriander leaves, ghee and saffron milk water & the rest of the fried onions.

17. If you are not using a Dutch oven, seal the pot with a foil or a moist clean cloth (not dry cloth). Turn on the flame on a medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to low and dum cook for another 18 to 20 minutes. Turn off and rest for 10 minutes.

If you are not using a heavy bottom pot like a Dutch oven, a sandwiched bottom pot or a triply cookware, place a tawa on the stove and then your cookware. Cook for 5 mins on a high heat and then on a medium heat for 18 to 20 mins.

18. When you open the pot, your rice grains should have curled meaning the rice has been dum cooked well. If not, next time you may increase the cook time. The cook time changes slightly with the kind and size of stove/burner.

19. Garnish with more fried onions and coriander/mint leaves if you want. Serve Chicken biryani with a large rice paddle in a way that each portion gets the chicken from the bottom and the rice from top in layers.

What to serve – Cucumber Raita and onion salad go well with this biryani. In India we also serve this with a biryani gravy known as shorba, or with this chicken kurma (not korma) and with kachumber or onion raita.

restaurant style chicken biryani

What you need for a good biryani?

To make a good biryani, always use best quality ingredients. The choice of good quality basmati rice, whole spices, spice powders, chicken & ghee all contribute to the flavors of chicken biryani.

1.Basmati rice: There are so many kinds of basmati rice available in the market. For best results choose premium quality basmati rice that is labelled as AGED. This kind of rice is more firm & fluffs up well in chicken biryani without turning mushy. Aged rice is also more fragrant.

Though this biryani is made in a pressure cooker or pot, the texture of rice grains will come out right without getting mushy if made with aged rice.

2.Biryani masala (spices): Good quality whole spices & spice powders elevate the flavor of chicken biryani. So choose a good quality ready made garam masala powder or biryani masala.

I am also sharing the ingredients for an instant biriyani masala powder. If you do not have a ready made or store bought masala, you can make it in just few minutes.

3.Chicken: We usually use up the cut whole chicken to make the chicken biryani. However I always find chicken breast pieces dry out if not marinated well with yogurt. If you prefer soft, tender & succulent pieces of chicken in your biryani, then just use chicken thighs & drumsticks.

Always use bone-in chicken as it helps the dish to turn out more flavorful.

4.Ghee : Traditionally chicken biryani was made using ghee. Since this recipe does not follow the traditional method, you can also make it using oil. But ghee adds a unique aroma to the dish.

Chicken Biryani

Pro Tips to make the Best Chicken Biryani

  • Marination: Marinating chicken with yogurt & spices is the first key step to make the best chicken biryani. Yogurt tenderizes the chicken & the spices enhance the flavors. Marinating and resting chicken makes it soft & succulent, so do not skip that. If you do not eat curd then can substitute it with coconut milk.
  • Preparing rice : Basmati rice has to be rinsed very well a few times in ample amount of water to get rid of the starch. This prevents the rice grains from turning mushy. Soaking the rice helps to cook the rice grains to fluffy & long. So do not skip rinsing & soaking the rice well before using.
  • Water : This recipe uses plain water to cook the chicken biryani. However it can be replaced with chicken stock. The quantity of water I have mentioned in the recipe card works well for me with Lalquilla old malai basmati rice. This ratio works pretty well with any aged basmati rice.
  • Please do adjust the amount of heat in the recipe. My recipes are usually low on heat for the Indian taste buds. Since I have young kids at home., these levels work well for us.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

chicken biryani recipe

Chicken Biryani Recipe

Aromatic, delicious and spicy one pot chicken biryani made with basmati rice, spices, chicken and herbs. This is a beginners recipe and can be made with ease. Serve chicken biryani with raita or salan (gravy).
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Servings4 people
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

Marinade for chicken biryani

  • ½ kg (1.1 lbs) chicken (skinless bone-in or boneless, large pieces such as thighs, drumsticks, legs or mix of all)
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (curd or dahi)
  • tablespoons ginger garlic paste (1 inch ginger & 4 garlic cloves crushed)
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to tase)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or paprika) (use less spicy variety)
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon garam masala (or biryani masala) (Refer notes)
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (optional)

Whole spices (skip if you don’t have any)

  • 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
  • 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
  • 6 cloves (lavang)
  • 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
  • 1 star anise (chakri phool )
  • ¾ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds) (substitute with cumin)
  • 1 strand mace (javitri, omit if you don't like)

Other ingredients for chicken biryani

  • 2 cups basmati rice (aged rice only)
  • 2 tablespoon ghee or Oil
  • 1 large onion sliced thinly
  • ¼ to ½ cup mint leaves chopped fine (about 15 leaves)
  • 1 green chili (slit or chopped)
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt (Indian curd)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional, for heat)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (or biryani masala)
  • 3 cups water (3½ cups for pot) (refer notes, more if needed )
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (to stir in water)
  • 2 tablespoon fried onions (optional)
  • 1 pinch saffron (optional)(soaked in 2 tbsps hot milk)


Instructions

Preparation

  • To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, garam masala, turmeric, lemon juice & red chili powder.
  • Mix up well and taste the marinade. Add more salt and spice if needed.
  • Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade & mix well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to overnight. 
  • Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 mins. Drain to a colander after 30 mins.

How to make Chicken Biryani

  • Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
  • Add whole spices – bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, shahi jeera & mace. Skip them if you do not have.
  • When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions & fry them evenly stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
  • Add chicken & saute until pale for 5 mins on a medium heat. 
  • Cover & cook on a low flame until the chicken is soft cooked or tender. Saute to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
  • Taste test and add more salt if needed. Add yogurt (curd), half of the chopped mint leaves, slit green chili, red chili powder & garam masala.
    ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 green chili, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon garam masala

Layering

  • Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom. (check video)
  • Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
  • To a separate pot, pour water. If cooking in a pot use more water.
  • Add salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty. Bring this to a rolling boil.
  • Pour 2 cups of this water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice. (check video)
  • Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle the rest of the mint leaves. Optionally add fried onions & saffron soaked milk if using.
  • Pot method – If cooking in a pot, cover and cook on a medium flame until the rice in the chicken biryani is cooked completely but not mushy or undercooked. If the rice is still under cooked or hard & there is no water at the bottom, pour ¼ to ½ cup more boiling water depending on the kind of rice used and cook further. When done it has to be fully cooked, yet remain grainy but not mushy.
  • Cooker method – Set the flame to medium high. Cover & place the whistle. Cook until you hear 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further. 
  • Rest until the pressure drops naturally. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork. 
  • Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from the bottom layer.
  • Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies, papad and shorba (biryani gravy).


Notes

  1. Water: The amount of water to use depends on the brand of basmati rice. Not all basmati rice need the same amount of water. So for pot method, start with 3 cups water. Towards the end if the rice is undercooked, pour ¼ to ½ cup boiling water and cook further. You will need to experiment a bit with the right amount here.
  2. Tomatoes: An authentic biryani never uses tomatoes, so I have not used in the recipe. It does not add any taste infact alters the flavor. If you still want to use you an follow the second recipe I have posted below.
  3. Yogurt or curd: Do not use sour curd. If the curd is slightly sour then skip using lemon juice.
  4. Rice: I have used lalquilla basmati rice, old malai. Any other basmati rice may need less or more water. Make sure to use as needed.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Biryani Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 753 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Fat 29g45%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 114mg38%
Sodium 1062mg46%
Potassium 550mg16%
Carbohydrates 86g29%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 695IU14%
Vitamin C 10.1mg12%
Calcium 132mg13%
Iron 4.3mg24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Chicken Biryani Recipe

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
I’ve never made a chicken biryani. I really needed lessons and this was like a masterclass. Never knew about aged basmati. However I found the regular basmati, so had to cut down water. It tasted delicious but the rice is not firm like we get in restaurants. I need to hunt for aged basmati first to make the perfect biryani. Thank you I will be using your recipe 1 again and again.

5 stars
I tried out the first biryani recipe, followed everything to the T and it was delicious. I sauteed the chicken in a pan and transferred to a rice cooker. Cooked it on rice mode. It was perfect.

I follow your blog. So I found your chicken biryani picture (above) on a swiggy restaurant for their chicken biryani.

5 stars
Hi Swasthi,

I love this recipe and have made it many times! When you make your biryani masala do you grind up the cardamoms whole—pod and all, or do you remove the pods after toasting and only use the seeds?

5 stars
This was delightful. Went to an Indian grocery store and bought all the authentic ingredients. The extra long aged basmati was awesome. I also made naan, raita, and shorba. Lots of work but well worth it.

5 stars
Hey Swathi, thank you so much for this recipe. I have next to zero experience with Indian cuisine and yet the biryani was a real success! I had a very good one on holidays abroad and wanted so much to recreate this wonderful spice blend. I used a pot, the rice was cooked perfectly. Kudos for explaining the method step by step so clearly. Looking forward to try out more of your recipes!

Hi, thanks for the recipe. In first method you use 2 cups of rice, what is the weight of rice in grams.

5 stars
I have tried it twice. Yummy. As always like your other recipes it’s perfect measurement for my taste. Yummy. Biryani. Now I don’t feel like buying it from restaurants.

5 stars
Thank you for this recipe!! It was very well written and easy to follow, and the video was very helpful. It turned out so well and delicious!

5 stars
English guy who lives in Australia. We can’t get British curries here. Or anything else. So I’ve been trying. I hadn’t actually had a Biryani until I went to Singapore and it was amazing. This recipe is the best I’ve ever cooked. First time was an absolute charm. Thank you so much, that was insane.

I need to use up my ground mace before buying whole. In your recipe for Biryani Masala Powder, how much ground mace should I use to equal half of one mace?

Thank you! I appreciate it when I know the weights of ingredients as the sizes on the whole spices can vary considerably!

5 stars
Have the same scenario… ground mace that needs to be used. Thanks to you both for this conversation!

Hi
I’ve started to prep for this gorgeous recipe but I don’t have a regular pressure cooker, how long should it go in for in a instant pot please? Thanks xx

5 stars
This chicken biryani was unbelievable! My husband & in-laws said it’s the best biryani they have ever had. They stood up and gave me an applause lol. I used your restaurant style biryani recipe. I love how you labelled every step with the time it takes. If you ever come up with a cookbook I will be the first one to queue up. Keep up the good work!

5 stars
This is one of the best explanations for a biryani recipe I have ever seen online. Being a novice your recipes help me feed my husband and this biryani was a huge success. I used the instant pot, used boneless chicken and cooked on high pressure for 4 minutes. It was fantastic.

5 stars
Terrific recipe & it works every time. I always use Kohinoor extra-long basmati rice and the water ratios given in the recipe work well for me. It is extremely economical and healthier to eat a homemade biryani than to order out. So I will be making this again and again… Thank you for the amazing recipes.

5 stars
Wonderful. First time I made biryani in my life but recipe is so good and well explained that it came out perfect taste as I have eaten in best places.

Little improvement needed as I needed to search, how much onion? which was given in second method but not in first one. Or may be I missed it 🤔 but wow! Yummy biryani.

How would I use an Instant Pot for this recipe?

Hi, Thanks for the recipe. In in the first method, may I know the quantity of onion in grams? Asking as Onions are of different sizes everywhere! 🙂

5 stars
Hey! I made chicken briyani today and it came out phenomenal. I love the way you explain in details for beginners and make cooking easier. Now I can avoid buying outside food 🙂 TYVM!

5 stars
I love every thing about the one pot chicken biryani. Can’t believe it turns out so good every time. After a few trails I got it right. The first important thing is to use good quality aged basmati. Without that my biryani would turn mushy. Thank you Swasthi for being so generous with your instructions and tips.

Hi Swasthi, I have been toying with the idea of cooking chicken biryani and veg biryani for a Xmas lunch. Just wondering if I can make the gravy ahead in time and just the rice the next day? And then use oven to cook/heat after layering?