Layer Chicken Biryani Recipe | Slow-cooked Rice & Chicken Recipe

If you are an Indian food lover, try this delicious recipe at home :)

Biryani or Biriyani is a flavoursome slow-cooked dish made with ' Rice, Aromatic spices and Meat ' and sometimes with veggies..

This recipe is 'Layer Chicken Biryani' ( Pakki style Biryani ) is made by layering the cooked meat and cooked rice and slow cooking the layered dish for several minutes or sometimes even for HOURS depending upon the quantity used...but trust me, the moment you take the first bite - you admit it was WORTH WAITING !! .. and the Best Biryani is .......... HOMEMADE ! .. Make and enjoy :)

I have described the recipe in 4 Parts : ( in 4 steps )

Part 1 : Cleaning chicken, washing rice and chopping the ingredients
Part 2 : Cook the Chicken
Part 3 : Cook the Rice
Part 4 : Layering chicken&rice and slow-cook on a stove top

Ingredients: ( for Chicken Biryani Serves 6 - 7 )

For the chicken gravy:
1 Chicken (cut into 13 - 15 pieces)
2 big Onion (or 3 medium) chopped
ginger paste - with 2" piece (freshly crushed)
garlic paste - with 10 cloves (freshly crushed)
2-3 green chillies (whole)
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
5 cardamom
6 cloves
4 star anise (pieces)
cinnamon - 3" stick
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1 tsp - chilli powder (or more if you like HOOOOT :)..
2.5 Tbsp - coriander powder
2 Tbsp - fennel powder
1 - 2 Cups of water
2 Tbsp oil
Salt to taste

For the rice:
4 Cups or 1 kg - Basmati Rice ( I used 4 Cups of Sella/Parboiled Basmati rice)
7 Cups of Water ( use the same cup used to measure the rice )
3 cardamom
2 cloves
2" cinnamon stick
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper ( freshly crushed if possible)
Salt to taste ( add required amount while cooking rice )
2 Tbsp - oil

Garnishes for layering:
1 big onion - sliced & fried ( in 1 tbsp of oil )
(Optional - fried 20 cashews & 2 Tbsp raisin )
1" ginger - finely chopped
1 big green chilli - finely choped
1/4 tsp saffron ( in a small bowl, soak saffron in 2 Tbsp of warm water )
2 tbsp - ghee (clarified butter)
1/3 cup - chopped coriander leaves
2 Tbsp - chopped mint leaves
1/2 Lemon juice

Step 1: Part 1 : Clean Chicken, Soak Rice, Chop the Ingredients

Part 1:

Step 1) Clean and cut the chicken into 13 - 15 pieces. Place it on a strainer to remove excess water.

Step 2) Wash 4 Cups of basmati rice and soak in 7 cups of water.

Step 3) Do all the slicing/chopping for the gravy, rice and layering as mentioned in the ingredients list.
( remember to soak the saffron in 2 Tbsp of warm water)

Step 4) Fry 1 onion for layering: Heat a big curry pan, pour a tbsp of oil and fry 1 sliced Onion until light brown and keep aside ( for layering ).
(note: If you like to add cashews & raisins, add these to the above fried onions towards the end and cook for a minute. Take out everything and keep aside for layering )

Step 2: Part 2 : Cook the Chicken With 'for the Chicken Gravy Ingredients'

Part 2:

Step 5) Heat the same big curry pan you used to fry onion (in step4). Pour 2 tbsp of oil.

Step 6) Add onion and mix. Add the cardamom, cloves, star anise, cinnamon and cook until the onion turns light brown.

Step 7) Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the green chillies and mix for a minute

Step 8) Reduce the heat to very low and add the spice powders ( turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder) and mix for 10 seconds.

Step 9) Immediately, add the chicken pieces and mix well to coat the chicken with masala. Turn the heat to medium, add 1/4 cup of water and mix for a minute.

Step 10) Add the coriander+mint leaves and mix for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste and mix well. now add 1 cup of hot water and bring it to a boil (stirring occassionaly). When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 mts...
(note : remember to stir every 5 minutes)

While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice...

Step 3: Part 3 : Cook the Rice With 'for the Rice Ingredients'

Part 3:

Step 11) Heat a big pan on low heat. Pour 2 tbsp oil, add the cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and immediately add the rice + same soaked water.

Step 12) Add pepper, lemon juice, salt to taste and heat on high. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook for 12 minutes.

note: for 'rice : salt ratio' ( for 1 cup rice - add 1/2 tsp salt and increase as needed )

note: about cooking time - ( for less than 2 cups of rice, cook for 10 minutes)...(for 4-5 cups of rice, cook for 12 minutes)...( for 5 - 8 cups, cook for 15 minutes)...for (8 -10 , cook for 20 minutes)

Remember to check the chicken and turn off the heat. Once the rice is done...start layering quickly...

Step 4: Part 4: Layering Chicken&rice and Slow-cook on a Stove-top

Part 4:

Be ready with all the 'garnishes for layering' ingredients. You also need a big heavy-bottomed pan to layer the entire chicken & rice.

Step 13) Heat a deep or wide heavy bottomed pan on high for 40 seconds...and turn OFF.

Step 14)Layering begins... :)

Add 2 tsp of ghee and coat the bottom and edges of the pan.
Add 70% of the chicken gravy and 6 - 7 chicken pieces at the bottom of the pan
Add half of TOP section rice...and gently scatter it
Now sprinkle some garnishes - 1 tsp of ghee, some ginger, some chilli, little fried onion,
(optional - cashews&raisins), some coriander+mint leaves, few drops of saffron water
Add some rice to just cover that topping
Add half of remaining curry evenly on top.
Save 4 chicken pieces and add the rest on top
Add little rice and again sprinkle all the ginger & greenchilli
Add most of rice (by saving some to cover the top in the end)
Add the remaining 4 chicken pieces and gravy on top ( and along the sides as well)
Top with remaining rice and garnishes (fried onion, cashew&raisin if any, coriander+mint leaves, saffron water, ghee and lemon juice)
Immediately, put the lid on and ( if there is any hole in the lid, place a small piece of rolled tissue inside the hole to prevent the steam from escaping)...and seal the sides with some dough or place some weight on top like a mortar (please see video)
Now turn the heat to high for just 40 seconds. After 40 seconds, reduce to very low and slow-cook for 20 minutes...
After 20 minutes, turn OFF. Let it sit for 25 - 30 minutes (do not open during this wait time... please wait ;)

Ok...thanks for waiting... your BIRYANI is READY !! Now you can open and start serving...

note:- to serve, scoop from one side... no mixing needed for layer biriyani - please watch the video for this part :)..