The smokey flavors of chicken tikka infused in every grain of rice you have – If this doesn’t make you drool, then what will? A classic biryani recipe which combines the favorite dishes of every chicken lover – chicken tikka and biryani! This recipe involves elaborate preparation work but the results are worth all the work.
Who doesn’t like red, smokey tandoori chicken? We all love it right? So, why not make a meal by combining these two? The process of making this chicken tikka biryani is divided into four steps:
Step 1: Preparing the chicken tikkas separately.
Step 2: Preparing the rice.
Step 3: Preparing the tikka masala for the biryani.
Step 4: Assembling everything and dum cooking it.
Looks elaborate right? Well, a perfect biryani always requires an elaborate process!
We make a creamy tikka masala for the biryani by adding yogurt. To impart the smokey flavors onto the chicken, the dhungar method is used where a piece of coal is heated in direct flame until red hot and then kept in a steel bowl, inside the marinated chicken bowl. Then a few drops of oil or ghee is poured on it for the smoke to release and the bowl is covered tightly to ensure the smoke infuses with the chicken and does not escape out. This is really optional but doing this gives the biryani a distinct taste and I highly recommend doing it. Since I didn’t have coal, I tried something different.
Alternative solution: If you do not have coal, then use a small coconut shell and heat it on direct flame for 2-3 minutes. Then, follow the same steps to incorporate the smokey flavors onto the chicken.
A perfect biryani always requires a perfect cooking method, right from the quality of rice to the dum process. Whenever you are preparing biryani make sure you do not leave the kitchen. Every step requires patience and proper cooking. The taste of the meat is also equally important. So, make sure you marinate the chicken really well so that every bite into the meat will give you a burst of flavors. Along with the taste of the meat comes the taste of the masala prepared for the biryani. A good masala requires correct amount of spices and cooking. So, do not burn it in the process of making it.
So, I think I have given all the tips for making the perfect biryani. I have learnt this from my own failures and making these small changes will always have a great impact on the final result.
Let’s not wait anymore. I guess you are ready to prepare this chicken tikka biryani and experience the burst of flavors with every mouthful you take. Serve them with some curd or raita. You can also try having the tikkas with some green chutney. They taste awesome. Anyways, prepare them for a Sunday brunch or lunch and enjoy them with your entire family. Happy cooking and eating!
While you are here, try my other chicken biryani recipes too for a super-delicious lunch.
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
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Chicken Tikka Biryani
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 300 grams boneless chicken breast, cut into medium-large pieces
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/8 tsp pepper powder
- 1 tsp tandoori masala
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi
- 1/2 tsp dried mint leaves
- 1/4 cup curd
- juice of half a lemon
- salt, as per taste
- 2 tbsp cooking oil, to cook the chicken tikka
- 1 tbsp ghee, to cook the chicken tikka
To cook the rice
- 1 cup long-grain basmati rice
- 5 cups water
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 3 bay leaves
- 3-4 whole black pepper
- 6-7 cloves
- a strand of mace
- 3 green cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
- salt, as per taste
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
To make the barista (fried onions)
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
To make the tikka masala
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 2 medium-sized tomato, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup curd
- salt, as per taste
For the biryani
- handful of chopped mint leaves
- handful of chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp warm milk
- a few strands of saffron
- a pinch of tandoori masala
For the dungar method
- a small piece of coconut shell or coal
- few drops of oil / ghee
Instructions
Preparing the chicken tikka
- Except for the cooking oil and ghee, take the rest of the ingredients listed under 'For the chicken marinade' in a mixing bowl and marinate the chicken.
- Cover the marinated chicken with a cling wrap or an airtight lid and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.
For the dhungar method (optional)
- Heat a piece of coconut shell in direct flame for 3 minutes.
- Place it in a steel bowl inside the marination and pour a few drops of ghee or oil and close the mixing bowl with an airtight lid. Let the smoke infuse with the chicken for 10 minutes. Later remove the steel bowl.
Pre-preparations for the biryani
- Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, take warm milk and add a few strands of saffron and let it sight for 15-20 minutes.
To cook the rice
- In a kadai, add 5 cups of water and the whole spices listed under 'To cook the rice' and bring it to a boil.
- Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it to the kadai. Cook the rice until 85% done.
- Strain the rice using a strainer and let it sit for 5 minutes. Later spread the rice in a plate and set aside.
To make the barista or fried onions.
- Add 1/2 cup oil to a wide pan and let it heat.
- Add the thinly sliced onions when the oil is hot and fry them on a low-medium flame.
- When the onions turn golden-brown in color, switch off the flame.
- Drain all the oil from the fried onions using a strainer. Reserve this oil for future use.
To cook the marinated chicken
- In a wide pan, add 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee and let it heat on a medium flame.
- When it is hot, add the marinated chicken and spread it. Let the chicken cook without a lid on a medium flame. Flip the chicken occasionally.
- Reserve any excess marinade for future use.
- When the chicken is cooked, switch off the flame and let it rest. When it is warm, skewer the chicken and roast them on a direct flame for a minute, rotating frequently.
- Remove them onto a plate and set aside.
- Reserve the gravy and the oil left over from cooking the chicken for future use.
To prepare the tikka masala
- Add oil and ghee in a kadai on medium flame.
- Add the finely chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and all the spice powders listed under 'To make the tikka masala' along with the required salt and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Add the curd and the reserved chicken marinade and cook them for 5 minutes on low-medium flame.
- Add some water and blend it using an immersion blender. Let it cook on a low flame until the gravy reduces to half.
- Turn off the flame and in the same kadai or a heavy-bottomed vessel, add half the gravy and some chopped mint and coriander leaves.
- Add half of the par-boiled rice and spread gently over the gravy. Add the chicken pieces on top of the rice layer.
- Add the other half of the reserved tikka masala on the chicken pieces along with the chicken gravy that was reserved earlier.
- Add some chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves and half of the fried onions on top of the chicken.
- Layer the chicken pieces with the rest of the par-boiled rice. Add the oil reserved from the chicken tikka gravy prepared earlier.
- Add the rest of the chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves and the fried onions. Splash some oil that we reserved from frying the onions (barista) and the saffron milk along with just a pinch of tandoori masala sprinkled over the rice. Meanwhile heat a tawa on medium flame.
- Cover the biryani vessel with an aluminium foil and then the lid. When the tawa is hot, lower the flame and keep the vessel over the tawa for the dum process. Let it dum cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn off the flame, remove from heat and let it rest for 10 more minutes.Serve hot with some raita on the side.
Notes
- Add food color for the chicken marinade if you want to.
- Marinate the chicken atleast for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Instead of dried mint leaves in the marinade, even fresh mint leaves can be used.
- Use spice powders according to taste.
- While par-boiling the rice, use green chilies according to taste.
- Use the oil used to fry the onions in the biryani. This oil is infused with flavors and tastes great.
- The dhungar method is completely optional.
- While layering the biryani, you can also add rose water or kewra water for some extra flavors.
[…] Happy cooking and eating! While you are here also checkout my other non-veg appetizers along with my Chicken Tikka Biryani – an amalgamation of smoky chicken tikkas and […]