Kolkata Style Chicken Biriyani Recipe

Chicken biriyani is an Indian cuisine originated back by the Mughals. It's most prevalent in Hyderabad and many other states. Biriyani is rice cooked with several aromatic spices ( called biriyani masala), with unique essence of ginger garlic and onions served with a huge piece of Chicken (mostly leg piece), cooked under dum ( from where its name originated dum biriyani) meaning cooking on low flame for around 40 minutes giving  out its best taste and aroma. 

In North India, different varieties of biryani developed in the Muslim centers of Delhi (Mughlai cuisine), Lucknow (Awadhi cuisine) and other small principalities. In South India, where rice is more widely used as a staple food, several distinct varieties of biryani emerged from Hyderabad Deccan (where some believe the dish originated) as well as Tamil Nadu (Ambur, Thanjavur, Chettinad, Salem, Dindigal), Kerala (Malabar), Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, where Muslim communities were present. (Source- wikipedia)

Different states of India serves Biriyani with its own twist. Kolkata being one top states serving absolutely delicious biriyani because the bengalis put potatoes to their biriyanis! Isn't it amazing? 

Most of us have tasted biriyani and have even tried it at home but it always matches 90% to it.Why? To know check out the recipe for authentic Kolkata style chicken biriyani and also because as it's a royal dish it requires great practice as well as patience. 

Nutrition Facts-

Calories 292

Total Fat 9.4g

Cholesterol 48mg

Sodium 419mg

Potassium 462mg

Total Carbohydrates 31g

Protein 20g

RECIPE-

Serve-3

Preparation time- 30 minutes

Cooking time- 30 minutes

For dum - 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

• Chicken (700 gms)

• Basmati biriyani rice ( 700 gms or 3 cups)

• Ginger garlic (100 gms)

• Onion (3 medium sized)

• Potatoes ( 3 big)

• Red chilli powder

• Home made Biriyani masala (let me know if you need the recipe)

• Meetha ator

• Kewra water

• Rose water

• Kesar 

• Ghee (100gms)

• Mustard oil 

• Milk (1 cup)

• Curd ( 1 cup)

• Salt to taste

Preparation-

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes which will help the rice to cook faster and soft. Peel the potatoes, set aside.

2.Make ginger garlic paste with 4 tbsp of water. What you need to follow is 'We would only need the juice of ginger garlic'. So add another 4 tbsp of water and after mixing, extract only the 'juice' of ginger garlic paste with the help of seive and set aside. 

3. Marinate the chicken pieces with 1 tbsp of turmeric powder and 1 tbsp of Chilli powder. Set aside for 15-20 mintutes.

4. Cut the onions longitudinally (for barista).

5. In 1 cup of milk soak 1 pinch of kesar.

6. Beat 1 cup curd and set aside. 

7. Melt 100 gms of ghee.

Cooking-

1. Heat 1 cup (200 ml) of mustard oil in a  kadhai or pan. Deep fry the onions on medium flame for 6-7 mintutes. Your barista is ready.

2. In the same kadhai, give 1 tbsp of red chilli powder to add good colour to your dish. Add the ginger garlic juice and cook well for about 5 mintutes on medium flame. Add the potatoes in it and cook it for 7-8 mintutes covering it with a lid on low flame. 

3. Add the Chicken pieces to the kadhai, stir well and cook for about 10 minutes on medium flame until the oil separates well. Cover it with a lid in between. 

4. Now in a pressure cooker add everything in the kadhai, wait for 2 wristles. (This will help the potatoes to boil perfectly and the chicken to become very tender.)

5. After two wristles, fry the pieces of chicken in refined oil for 4-5 mintutes  on medium flame.(so that the chicken pieces don't break)

6. Separate out the potatoes and what you will the left with 'yakhni' (chicken cooked with the juice if ginger garlic paste). If you see excess oil separate some of it according to need. 

Cooking of the rice-

1. In a veseel, boil 3-4 cups of water. Add 3 tbsp of salt, 3 cardomon,1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 5-6 cloves. When bubbles starts forming add the soaked rice and cook until the rice gets 80% cooked. 

2. Stain the rice, add salt to the rice according to your taste, add 5 tbsp of ghee, set aside.

Layering-

1. Take a thick base pan or handi whatever you have, grease it with ghee evenly. 

2. Add the chicken pieces and potatoes, add the yakhi, (remember that the chicken pieces and the potatoes should be 'half immersed' in the yakhni). Add half of the barista over it.

3. Add 1 cup of beated curd or dahi, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, bit less than half cup of milk soaked with kesar. (Here you can also add aloo bokhra, khoya kheer. If you don't have one, don't worry it won't make such difference. I personally didn't used them here.)

4. Now add two layers of cooked rice (80%),add 1 tbsp of biriyani masala, 1 tsp of kewra essence, 1 tsp of rose water. 

5. Again add the remaining cooked rice. To the top add the remaining cup of milk, 3-4 drops of meetha ator, remaining barista, 2 tbsp of biriyani masala, remaining ghee.

6. Seal it give atta or you can also use aluminum foil to cover the biriyani on the top. 

Dum-

1. Put a tawa or a thick base pan on flame. Over it place the Biriyani handi or pan, don't give 'direct heat'. Place weight on the top of the biriyani handi so the steam can't escape.

2.Let it get cooked on low flame for 35-40 mintutes. 

Moment of truth-

Serve the Biriyani hot with green chutney, salad, with you favourite choice of beverage and enjoy! 

Do let me know how you like it, also share the picture if you tried it at home on my Instagram at gourmet.being. Also follow me on facebook at gourmet.being. Comment down below for any queries, any recipes.  

Thank you.❤️