Kolkata Chicken Biryani Recipe
User Reviews
5
Kolkata Chicken Biryani Recipe
Description
This biryani begins with a handmade biryani masala made by dry roasting spices such as mace, nutmeg, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, shah jeera, white and cubeb pepper, and dried rose petals, then grinding them into a smooth powder. The chicken is marinated in yogurt mixed with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, coriander powder, red chili powder, and the biryani masala, allowing the flavors to penetrate for at least one hour.
The basmati rice is rinsed to remove excess starch and soaked before cooking. Potatoes are boiled partially, then fried with turmeric for added flavor and color. Eggs are boiled separately and sautéed briefly in oil. Thinly sliced onions are deep-fried until light brown to add a crispy texture layer.
The layering involves spreading cooked or partially cooked components with saffron-infused milk and ghee, and sealing the pot with whole wheat dough to trap steam. The sealed cooking method helps in slow cooking and flavor melding, resulting in a fragrant, moist biryani where the chicken, spices, and rice flavors blend harmoniously.
This recipe highlights the importance of quality long-grain aged basmati rice and careful spice preparation. The biryani masala powder can be stored in an airtight container and used in other dishes as a garam masala substitute, indicating the versatile nature of the spice blend.
Ingredients
For Biryani Masala
- 1 mace whole, aka javitri
- ½ nutmeg whole, aka jaipal
- 1 black cardamom
- 8 green cardamom
- 8 cloves
- 2 cassia cinnamon approx 3 cm, aka cinnamon stick, or cacia
- ⅓ teaspoon shah jeera
- ⅓ teaspoon white pepper aka shah marich, or white paper
- ⅓ teaspoon cubeb pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rose petals
For Marinade
- 1 kg chicken large pieces, bone-in
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ¼ cup curd
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon biriyani masala homemade
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- salt as needed
For barista
- 3 onion large size, finely sliced
- cooking oil I used sunflower oil, for deep frying
For Rice
- 500 g basmati rice aged, long-grained
- 3 l water
- salt
- 1 teaspoon ghee aka clarified butter
- 4 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
Other Ingredients
- 3 potato peeled, washed & cut into halves, large
- 4 egg boiled
- 1 onion large size, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon kewra water
- ¼ cup milk warm
- 1 pinch saffron aka kesar
- whole wheat dough for sealing
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil I have used sunflower oil
Instructions
Preparing Biryani Masala Powder
- Dry roast all the biryani masala ingredients in batches over medium flame until you get a nice aroma and transfer to a plate to cool down.
- Then grind them into a smooth powder.
Marinating the Chicken
- In a large bowl, beat curd, mix all ingredients except chicken to make a smooth paste. Add chicken to the mixture. Mix well and keep aside for at least 1 hr.
Other Preparations
- Rinse the basmati rice well in the running water to get rid of all the starch. Then soak in water for 30 minutes.
- Mix saffron and warm milk together in a bowl and keep aside.
- Boil the potato for 7-8 minutes in water. then drain the water and set them aside.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot enough add boiled eggs, saute for a minute, and set aside.
- Fry the potatoes in the same oil by adding a pinch of turmeric powder until sightly golden.
- Deep fry the thinly sliced onions until light brown. Place them on a kitchen towel to drain off excess oil.
Making Chicken Biryani
- Heat oil in a pan add sliced onions. Stir and cook until golden brown. Add the marinated chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is 50% cooked.
- In the meanwhile, boil water by adding all ingredients (written under rice preparation) together except rice. The water should be a bit salty. Once the water starts boiling add soaked and drained basmati rice. Let it cook over a high flame until the rice is 60% done.
- Now start assembling. Take a heavy bottom pan and grease oil. Put a layer of bay leaves first. It will prevent the biryani from sticking to the bottom.
- Spread a layer of chicken with some liquid and a few drops of kewra water. The rice should be ready now. Strain the rice with a colander and directly add to the pan and spread the rice to make a layer. Top the rice with some barista and sprinkle ¼ teaspoon biryani masala.
- Spread another layer of chicken with the remaining liquid followed by a final layer of rice, topped with fried egg and potato. Spread some barista, saffron milk, few drops of kewra water, two tablespoons of melted ghee, and ¼ teaspoon biryani masala.
- For placing the biryani in dum, cover with a tight-fitting lid and seal the sides well with the whole wheat dough so that no steam escapes. Now cook on a high flame for 5 minutes and 20 minutes over a low flame. Once done turn off the flame and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Calcutta-style chicken biryani is ready to serve. Serve hot.
Notes
- The biryani masala powder can be stored airtight and used as a general garam masala substitute in other dishes.
- Use high-quality, aged long-grain basmati rice for the best texture and aroma.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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