Go Back
butter chicken biryani served in a white plate. Garnished with a star anise & coriander leaves,
Print Recipe

Butter chicken biryani recipe

Butter chicken biryani made with basmati rice, chicken, Indian spices & butter. This biryani tastes exactly the same served in restaurants. It is mildly spicy with lots of buttery flavors. If you like butter chicken then definitely this biryani is just for you.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 480kcal
Author: Preeti

Equipment

  • Heavy bottom pot or Heavy bottok Wok

Ingredients

To marinate the chicken

  • 700 gram chicken cut into pieces
  • 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/4 cup thick curd/yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp tandoori chicken masala
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 2 tsp mustard oil

To make the gravy paste

  • 10 cloves of garlic
  • 2- inch ginger roughly chopped
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1- inch cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 6-7 cashews
  • 5 big tomatoes
  • 2 tsp butter

Making the spice powder

  • 4 cardamoms
  • a small piece of nutmeg
  • 2 petals javitri mace

For cooking the rice

  • 2 cups of basmati rice
  • 1- inch cinnamon (Dalchini)
  • 1 star anise (Chakra phool)
  • 2 green cardamoms (Choti Elaichi)
  • 1 black cardamom (Badi Elaichi)

To cook the biryani gravy

  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

Layering & assembling the biryani

  • 2 tbsp cream
  • fried onions
  • 1 green chili
  • 1 tsp Kasuri methi
  • coriander leaves
  • mint leaves
  • 1 tsp Biryani masala powder
  • saffron milk - a pinch of saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk.
  • 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter

Instructions

Preparations

  • Marinate the chicken with the ingredients mentioned in the ingredient list. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
  • Rinse & soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water & set it aside.
  • Fry onion slices in hot oil until golden & crisp. Remove & spread it on an absorbent paper. If using store bought fried onions (birista) then you can skip this step.
  • Crush cardamom, mace & nutmeg to a fine powder. Set it aside.

Making the butter chicken biryani

  • Boil 1 cup of water on high heat. Add garlic, ginger, onion, whole spices, tomatoes & butter. Cover & cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat & let it cool down completely.
  • Transfer the ingredients to the mixer/grinder jar. Do not add water & grind it to a fine paste. Gravy paste is ready. Set it aside.
  • Boil 6 cups of water on high heat. Add salt, whole spices & basmati rice. Cook until water comes to a boil again. It will take around 5 minutes. Drain off the water & keep it aside.
  • Heat 3 tbsp oil over high heat. Add the marinated chicken & fry on both sides until crisp. Then lower the flame & cook it on low flame for 5 minutes.
  • Create some space in the middle (refer the image). Place a bowl with hot charcoal in the middle. Pour some ghee/clarified butter. Cover & set it aside. It will give a smoky flavor to the chicken.
  • Heat 1 tsp oil & 1 tsp butter over low to medium heat. Add Kashmiri red chili powder. Fry it for a minute. Immediately add the prepared gravy paste & cook until it comes to a boil.
  • Add tandoori chicken to the gravy. Cook until it comes to a boil again. Taste & adjust salt. Reduce the excess gravy on low heat. There should not be too much gravy before you start to layer the biryani. Otherwise the biryani will become soggy.
  • Lower the heat & add cream, fried onions, green chilies, kasuri methi & prepared cardamom, mace & nutmeg powder, coriander & mint leaves. Layer the rice. Over it layer fried onion, mint leaves, coriander leaves, Biryani masala powder, saffron milk & ghee/clarified butter.
  • Create some space for the steam to escape with the ladle. If you are not creating the space the biryani will not cook properly. Compared to other biryani, this biryani needs this additional step.
  • Close with the lid. Cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Butter chicken biryani is ready to serve. It tastes best when served with Raita & Salad.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure the tandoori chicken is completely cooked before you add it to the gravy.
  • If you like the tastes of mustard oil then only add it to the recipe. Mustard oil has its own flavor & aroma. You can substitute it with normal cooking oil.
  • Do check out the ingredient list in the post for substituting any ingredients.
  • If you have kewra water then add a few drops to the biryani while layering it.