Chicken tikka biryani made with basmati rice, chicken, aromatic Indian spices & yogurt. This biryani tastes exactly the sameserved in restaurants. The biryani is nice, moist & mildly spicy.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian, Mughlai
Servings: 4people
Calories: 410kcal
Author: Preeti
Equipment
Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
Marinating the chicken tikkas
500-gramBoneless chicken pieces
2teaspoonginger garlic paste
4tablespoonthick curd/yogurt
2teaspoonKashmiri red chili powderor use normal red chili powder
1tsp spicy red chili powderSkip if you prefer less spicy
1teaspooncoriander powder
½teaspooncumin powder
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
½teaspoongaram masala powder
1tablespoonlemon juice
salt to taste
1teaspoonoil
To make Biryani rice
1bay leaf(tej patta)
1teaspooncaraway seeds (optional)(shahi jeera)
2green cardamom(choti elaichi)
3-4cloves(laung)
1-inchcinnamon(dalchini)
Salt to taste
1teaspoonoil
2cupsbasmati rice
To make Chicken Tikka Curry
1teaspoonoil
2green cardamom(choti elaichi)
3cloves(laung)
1-inchcinnamon(dalchini)
1onionsliced
1teaspoonginger-garlic paste
1cuptomato paste(blend 4 tomatoes to make a paste)
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
1teaspoonKashmiri red chili powder
½teaspooncoriander powder
¼teaspooncumin powder
salt to taste
1teaspoonbiryani masala powder
2green chilies
1teaspoonroasted & crushed Kasuri Methioptional
¼ cupcreamMalai
To assemble & layer the Biryani
½cupchopped coriander leaves
¼cupchopped mint leaves
¼cupsaffron milksoak pinch saffron in warm milk for 15 minutes.
½ teaspoonbiryani masala powder
2teaspoonghee/clarified butter
1onionslice it & deep fry it to make fried onions
Instructions
Preparation
Rinse basmati rice with water 3-4 times until the cloudiness of water is gone. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
Slice the onions. Set it aside. It will be used to make the gravy.
Chop green chilies, coriander & mint leaves. Set it aside.
Make tomato paste - Grind 4 tomatoes to make the paste.
Soak a pinch of saffron in ¼ cup of warm milk & set it aside for 15 minutes.
Making the chicken tikka
Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, curd/yogurt, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, lemon juice, salt & oil. Set it aside for an hour.
Pan-frying the tikka - Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Put the marinated chicken pieces one by one to the pan. Be careful, not to add the extra marinade while pan-frying the chicken.
Fry the chicken pieces3-4 minutes each side. The chicken should be completely cooked.
If the chicken pieces remain uncooked then lower the heat & cook it for few more minutes. Remove & set it aside.
Cooking the biryani rice
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 5-6 minutes. Drain it into a colander. Set it aside.
Making the chicken tikka curry
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan over medium heat.
Stir-fry the whole spices for 30 seconds.
Add onions & stir-fry until lightly golden.
Add ginger-garlic paste & cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste & leftover marinade. Cook it until tomato paste starts to leave oil from the sides.
Add the turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt & biryani masala powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add water, stir & cook until it comes to a boil.
Add the cooked chicken tikka, green chilies & kasuri methi. Stir & cook it for 5 minutes.
Finally add cream, stir & cook for a minute.
Chicken tikka curry is ready.
Assembling & layering chicken tikka biryani
I am layering the biryani in the same pan. To make the first layer, remove more than half of the chicken tikka masala to a separate bowl.
Add mint & coriander leaves. Mix it well.
Layer half of the cooked biryani rice.
Over it sprinkle mint leaves, coriander leaves, biryani masala powder, and fried onions.
Layer the chicken tikka masala over it.
Add mint & coriander leaves.
Layer the other half of the biryani rice.
Finally sprinkle mint & coriander leaves, fried onions, biryani masala powder, saffron milk & 2 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter.
Cover & cook it for 10 minutes on low heat.
Chicken tikka biryani is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Make sure the chicken tikka is completely cooked before you add it to the gravy.
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.
Marinate the chicken overnight for the best flavor. Transfer marinated chicken to an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator.