Hyderabadi biryani (pakki biryani) | How to make Hyderabadi biryani

Hyderabadi biryani also known as Hyderabadi dum biryani has the most amazing flavors and aroma coming from spices, chicken or meat, and long grain basmati rice. It is one of the popular dum biryani from Hyderabadi cuisine served at restaurants worldwide. Here's how to make this easy biryani recipe at home.

What is special about Hyderabadi biryani?

This biryani has its origin in the kitchen of Nizams of Hyderabad. The cooking style includes a combination of Hyderabadi and Mughlai cuisine. This biryani is more aromatic and heavy on spices compared to any other biryani like Awadhi biryani (Lucknowi biryani) or Kolkata biryani. Even the vegetarian version of Hyderabadi dum biryani is equally popular.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other amazing biryani recipes

1. Chicken Biryani in the Pressure Cooker
2. Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani (Kacchi Biryani)
3. Mutton Biryani
4. Egg Biryani
5. Prawn biryani

About this recipe

In this recipe post, I am sharing Hyderabadi biryani with chicken. Making it is considered a tedious job but it is quite easy. You can make it in 4 easy steps:

1. Cooking Rice
2. Making Biryani gravy
3. Assembling and layering the biryani
4. Dum cooking the biryani

Simple! isn't it. All the hard work is paid off when the heavenly aroma of biryani spread all over the house 🙂 With this recipe, I can assure you that you will never go wrong while making it at home. This is the best Hyderabadi biryani recipe.

Types of Hyderabadi Biryani

On the basis of the cooking process, this biryani is prepared in two ways

1. Kacchi biryani - the chicken is marinated with curd and spices and then layered with partially cooked rice. This is further cooked on dum. The word "Kacchi" means raw. The recipe to make kacchi biryani is already shared on this website.
2. Pakki biryani - the raw chicken is marinated in curd and spices and then cooked. The cooked chicken is then layered with rice and then they are cooked together on dum in a sealed pot.

In this recipe post, I am sharing the recipe of pakki biryani.

Recipe Features

1. You can make it easily at home. I have included step-by-step instructions with photos and also a recipe video to make the biryani making process easy for you.
2. You can easily customise the ingredients. Authentic Hyderabadi dum biryani recipe requires a lot of whole spices. This recipe is made with less spices. Also check out the ingredients notes for possible substitutions.
3. Gluten-free recipe.

Ingredients Notes

To make the Hyderabadi biryani, you need to pick up quality ingredients.

• Chicken - The chicken used to make biryani is cut into big size. Also, use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
• Biryani Spices - Fresh whole spices give this dish a great aroma & flavor. Do add a few of the whole spices that you can easily arrange. It enhances the magical taste & flavor of the dish.
• Basmati rice - Use long grain, aged basmati rice for making biryani. Once cooked, the long grains and beautiful aroma adds a nice texture and flavor to the rice dish. You can substitute it with any long grain rice. But check out the package instructions before making it. Cook the rice until al-dente.
• Curd/yogurt - Use fresh curd/yogurt. I have used homemade curd. Do not skip adding it. I have tried making it without curd but you will miss the creaminess that curd adds to the dish.
• Ghee/Clarified butter - To get the authentic flavor & taste of hyderabadi biryani, add ghee. Ghee keeps the rice grains soft & moist. Also, it enhances the flavor of chicken dum biryani. You can substitute it with cooking oil.
• Coriander & Mint leaves - Coriander leaves and mint leaves gives fresh aroma to the dish. It is a spicy dish and mint leaves gives a cooling effect to the body.
• Fried onions (Birista) - You can use store-bought birista or make it easily at home. To make birista at home, deep fry the onion slices until golden and crisp. Homemade birista is ready. You can make it in advance. Let it cool down to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and freeze it. Stays good for a month.
• Saffron - This is an optional ingredient. It gives a nice aroma and color to the dish. Skip it, if you do not have it. This dish tastes equally good without it.

How to make Hyderabadi biryani

Preparations

1. Soak the basmati rice - Rinse basmati rice with enought water until cloudiness of water is gone. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. This step is important do not skip it. It makes the basmati rice long and fluffy.
2. Making fried onions (birista) - You can use store-bought birista and skip this step. To make it home, heat oil in a pan over high heat. Fry sliced onions until golden and crisp. Keep stirring it to ensure even cooking. Once the onions are light golden take it out. Spread it on a plate.
3. Marinate the Chicken - In a mixing bowl, take the chicken and all the ingredients mentioned under to marinate the chicken. Mix it well. Cover & keep it aside. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (image 1 and 2).
4. Potli masala for biryani - This is an optional step. Take a clean muslin cloth. Put all the whole spices mentioned under potli masala. Tie the whole spices in a muslin cloth. Potli masala is ready. We will use it while cooking rice. You can skip this step and add all the whole spices directly while cooking the rice (image 3 and 4).
5. Prepare saffron milk - Soak ½ teaspoon saffron in ¼ cup of hot milk. This step is optional.

Cooking rice

1. Heat a vessel filled with 6 cups of water over high heat. When water boils, add potli masala and salt (image 8). If not using potli masala, add the whole spices directly into the boilin water.
2. Drain off the water from the soaked rice. Add rice to the boiling water. After 5 minutes, check the rice.
3. The rice will become long, soft but when you press it will split and should not be mushy (image 9). Switch off the heat.
4. Discard the potli masala and drain off the excess water from the rice. Rice to make biryani is ready.

Cooking the chicken

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee/clarified butter on medium heat.
2. Add whole spices - 1 bay leaf, 1 petal javitri (mace), 1-star anise, and 1 black cardamom. Saute for a minute.
3. Add marinated chicken. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes until the color of chicken changes from pink to white.
4. Cover & cook until the chicken is completely cooked.

Assembling and layering the biryani

1. At this stage, lower the heat or switch off the heat.
2. Remove half of the chicken from the gravy to a separate bowl.
3. To the pan, add half of the fried onions, coriander leaves & mint leaves.
4. Layer half of the cooked rice over it.
5. Sprinkle fried onions, mint leaves, coriander leaves, biryani masala powder & saffron milk.
6. Next, layer the remaining chicken with the gravy on it.
7. Spread again fried onions, coriander leaves, and mint leaves.
8. Layer the remaining rice & spread it evenly.
9. Over it put saffron milk, kewra water, biryani masala powder, fried onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves & ghee/clarified butter. Remove from heat.

Dum cooking the Hyderabadi biryani

1. Cover with the lid. Seal it with wheat flour dough.
2. Heat an iron tawa or griddle over medium heat. Keep the biryani pot over it.
3. Keep the heat on medium for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and cook it for 20 minutes.
4. Biryani is ready. Remove from heat.
5. Keep it aside for 5 minutes. Open the seal and check whether there is any water or moisture from the gravy, left at the bottom. If there is any moisture then cook it on low heat until the water evaporates.
6. Serve Hyderabadi biryani hot with raita, onion slices, and a lemon wedge.        

Expert tips

• Marinate the chicken for atleast 30 minutes to 2 hours. You can transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight for best flavors. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes.
• Cook rice until al-dente (the rice grains should have a slight bite in them). The rice should not be completely cooked. We are going to dum cook the rice again. If it is completely cooked then it will be mushy when we will dum cook it.
• If the rice is overcooked (if you press the rice grains, it is mushy) then do not use the rice to make this dish.
• Potli masala is used to avoid the whole spices coming to the mouth while eating it. However, you an skip this step and add the whole spics direcly to the boiling water used to cook the rice.
• Dum cook the chicken and rice in a heavy bottom pan on low heat.
• Use fresh curd or yogurt. If it is sour then it will spoil the entire dish. Skip addition of lemon juice, if the curd is sour.
• If you do not have entire whole spices then do add some whatever you have in the kitchen pantry.
• Do not cut the addition of Ghee/claified butter. It keeps the rice moist after cooking.

FAQs

Accompaniments

You can serve it with Raita, Dahi chutney, Mirchi ka salan, and Salad. The salad includes onion slices, cucumber & lemon wedges.

Storage Suggestion

• Store the leftover biryani in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days.
• Better to freeze it in small portion. Take out the required quantity, sprinkle some water over it and reheat itat low heat on the stove top. Or you can reheat it in the microwave.

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