Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in chicken, cut into medium curry pieces, skin removed
• 250 g thick plain yogurt, whisked smooth
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp garam masala
• 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 150 ml cooking oil, for frying the onions
• ¾ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 500 g aged basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 3 l water, for boiling the rice
• 2 tbsp salt, for the rice water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (caraway) or cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp saffron strands, crushed
• 60 ml warm milk, for the saffron
• 3 tbsp ghee, melted
• 1 tsp kewra water (optional)
• 2 tsp salt, for the marinade, or to taste
• 150 g plain flour, for sealing dough (or use foil)

Instructions

1. Put the oil and sliced onions in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and keep the oil. The onions crisp further as they cool.
2. Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear, then soak it in plenty of water. Do this while the onions fry.
3. Make the marinade in a large bowl. Mix the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, green chillies, lemon juice, 2 tsp salt, half the mint and coriander, and about a third of the fried onions crushed between your fingers. Stir in 4 tbsp of the onion oil.
4. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavour. Bring it out 30 minutes before cooking.
5. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the 2 tbsp salt, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and shahi jeera. The water should taste noticeably salty.
6. Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until a grain snaps when pressed between your fingers but still has a firm white core (about 70% cooked). Drain at once and spread the rice out a little so it stops cooking.
7. Spread the marinated chicken and all its marinade in an even layer in the heavy pot. Cover with half the rice, then scatter over half the remaining fried onions, mint, coriander and 1 tbsp ghee. Add the rest of the rice and top with the remaining onions and herbs.
8. Sprinkle the saffron milk over the top in patches, then add the remaining ghee, the remaining 0.5 tsp garam masala and the kewra water. Mix the flour with just enough water to make a soft dough, roll it into a rope and press it around the rim. Set the lid on firmly. You can use a layer of foil under the lid instead.
9. Cook over high heat for 4 minutes, until you see steam pushing at the edges of the lid.
10. Place the pot on a hot tawa and turn the heat to its lowest setting. Cook on dum for 40 minutes without opening the lid.
11. Turn off the heat and rest, still sealed, for 10 minutes. Break the seal and check that the chicken is cooked through (74°C at the thickest piece, juices running clear) and the rice is tender.
12. Fluff gently from the edge, lifting rice from the bottom so the saffron and white grains mix. Serve with the chicken pieces.

Tips

• Keep the chicken pieces medium-sized, about 60 to 80 g each. Large pieces may still be undercooked after the dum time.
• Do not boil the rice past 70%. It finishes cooking in the steam, and fully boiled rice turns mushy.
• Use a heavy pot and a tawa. Thin pots scorch the chicken layer at the bottom.
• Marinating overnight helps tenderise the chicken, but do not add the lemon juice more than 8 hours ahead.