Introduction: Murgh Noormahal Biryani (Chicken Kofta Biryani)

About: sharmilazkitchen is well known name for sharing her finger licking recipes which becomes more easy and simple because of her easy to follow video demonstration on YouTube. Her elegant and stylish video content…

Noormahal Biryani is named after Noormahal palace which was the princely estate of the royal family of Bahawalpur (now in Punjab, Pakistan) during the British Era. Like the pomp and grandeur of each and every thing in this palace, the royal kitchen was also famous due to the culinary experts, who created the gem called “Noormahal Biryani.”

Minced tender and juicy chicken koftas (balls) tossed in delightful sauce, layered with flavorful basmati rice and cooked on dum for shorter span. . The use of the right spices in correct proportions creates an unmatched texture and a medley of distinctive flavors. This biryani is indeed a “feast for senses”.

This biryani goes well with any raita.

Also try myHyderabadi Dum Biryani, Chicken Tikka Biryani and Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani. They are pure taste bud tingling delicacy.

Step 1: Ingredients

For Rice:

  1. 500 gm Basmati rice
  2. 4 green cardamoms
  3. 1 bay leaf
  4. 4 cloves1 black cardamom
  5. 1 1/2 tsp Shahi jeera/ caraway seeds
  6. 1 nutmeg and mace
  7. 3 cinnamon sticks
  8. 10 black peppercorns
  9. 1 tbsp Oil
  10. Salt to taste
  11. Water as required

For chicken kofta:

  1. 500 gm ground chicken
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1 tsp coriander & cumin powder
  4. 1/2 tsp turmeric, garam masala and black pepper powder
  5. 2 tbsp corn flour
  6. 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
  7. Salt to taste
  8. 1 tbsp Oil

For Kofta Gravy:

  1. 3 tbsp oil
  2. 3 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 2 bayleaves and 1/2 tsp whole cumin
  3. 3 big onions, thinly sliced
  4. 4 green chilies, chopped
  5. 1 tsp ginger paste
  6. 1 tsp garlic paste
  7. 2 red tomatoes chopped
  8. 2 tsp coriander powder
  9. 1 1/2 tbsp red chili powder
  10. 2 -3 tbsp shahi biryani masala
  11. 3 tbsp yogurt
  12. 1/2 cup milk
  13. Salt to taste
  14. Chopped coriander powder

For garnishing and layering:

  1. 1 cup crispy onion fry/ beresta
  2. 1/4th cup ghee
  3. Coriander leaves, chopped
  4. Saffron milk/ color: 2 -3 tsp
  5. Chopped corainder leaves
  6. Foil paper to cover the biryani pot

Step 2: Instructions

  1. Wash and soak the rice for at least 30 minutes.
  2. To cook the rice, bring surplus water to boil in large pan. Take a piece of soft cotton cloth. put cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, black pepper corns, nutmeg, mace in and make a bundle of this.Now drop this in the water and it is going to release flavor as much as it can.
  3. Also add oil, shahi jeera, chopped coriander leaves and good amount of salt. Don’t worry about adding salt. Because most of the salt will go off while draining water from rice.
  4. Let it come to boil.Put the rice in the boiling water and cook up to 80% done. keep aside.
  5. To make Kofta, put all the ingredients (from "for kofta") in ground chicken and mix well.
  6. Grease your palm. Make small balls out of the chicken mix.
  7. Heat some oil in a pan.Now leave the koftas in the hot oil.
  8. Fry until the koftas turn to nice and golden brown.
  9. Next make kofta gravy. In the same oil and pan, I'm gonna add some cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and whole cumin.
  10. Let the spices ooze out their aroma.
  11. Then add thinly sliced onions. Saute for few minutes until it turns to light golden brown.
  12. Add chopped green chilies, garlic paste, ginger paste. Give a really nice mix and saute for few minutes.
  13. Next goes chopped red tomatoes. Close the lid and allow the tomatoes to be soft.
  14. Now put all the dry spices red chili powder, coriander powder and shahi biryani masala followed by yogurt.
  15. Stir well and cook until the oil and spices separate
  16. .Once done, add milk. It will just spike up the deliciousness to another level. Bring the sauce to a good boil.
  17. Adjust the seasoning.
  18. Next throw in koftas and cook in the gravy for another 5 minutes on low heat. Let the koftas absorb the juice from the gravy and become more tasty and tender. The sauce should be thick.
  19. Finally sprinkle some coriander on the top and that's it.
  20. Kofta gravy is done.
  21. Let's start layering biryani. Grease the pot with little ghee.
  22. First will go pre-cooked rice and spread evenly. Then goes in chicken kofta along with gravy.
  23. Basically the meat layer will be in middle so that bottom layer become nicely masala coated. Again spread evenly.
  24. Now add remaining half rice for layer on the top of kofta.
  25. Top on crispy onion fry, pure ghee, Kewra water, color water and some coriander leaves.
  26. Seal the top with foil paper. Make sure no steam can come out from the pot.
  27. Put a tawa on the cook top and place biryani pot. As the rice is on bottom layer, so be very careful so it doesn't get burn from the bottom. Cook on simmer for 15 minutes.
  28. After that, the biryani is done. Serve with raita.