Chef-tested recipe
Fragrant Pakistani chicken biryani layered with spiced chicken masala, partially cooked basmati rice, herbs, fried onions and saffron milk.
Pakistani biryani is built in layers: a deeply flavored chicken masala, long-grain rice cooked only partway, fresh mint and coriander, then a final dum stage that finishes the rice while trapping the aromatics.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 40 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Cuisine
- Pakistani
- Course
- Main Dish
- Best Served With
- Serve with cucumber raita, kachumber salad, lemon and fresh chilli.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Heavy Dutch ovenpaid link
- Large rice potpaid link
- Fine colanderpaid link
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg bone-in chicken pieces
- 700 g aged basmati ricepaid link
- 250 g plain yogurt
- 250 g onions, thinly sliced
- 300 g tomatoes, chopped
- 35 g ginger pastepaid link
- 35 g garlic paste
- 4 green chillies, slit
- 8 g ground coriander
- 6 g ground cumin
- 5 g red chilli powderpaid link
- 5 g garam masala
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 5 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 15 g salt, plus salt for rice waterpaid link
- 80 ml neutral oil or gheepaid link
- 40 g mint leaves
- 40 g coriander leaves
- 1 g saffron soaked in 80 ml warm milk
- 30 ml lemon juice
Preparation Overview
Cook the chicken masala until rich and fairly dry, parboil the rice separately, then layer rice, chicken, herbs, fried onions and saffron before steaming gently under a tightly sealed lid.
Method
-
Fry onions in oil until deep golden. Remove half and drain for layering.
-
Add ginger, garlic, green chilli and whole spices to the remaining onions. Cook 1 minute.
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Add chicken, coriander, cumin, chilli powder and salt. Brown lightly.
-
Add tomatoes and cook until reduced. Stir in yogurt gradually and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is almost tender and the masala is thick. Finish with lemon juice and garam masala.
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Soak rice 30 minutes. Boil in well-salted water until about 70 percent cooked; drain immediately.
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Spread half the rice over the chicken. Add half the herbs, fried onion and saffron milk. Repeat with remaining rice and toppings.
-
Cover tightly and cook on very low heat for 25 minutes. Rest 15 minutes before opening.
-
Lift gently from the bottom so the masala and rice mix without breaking the grains.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Do not fully cook rice before layering.
- The chicken masala should not be watery.
- Use the lowest possible heat during dum to avoid scorching.
Tips and Variations
- Aged basmati gives longer, firmer grains.
- Use homemade fried onions for cleaner flavor.
- Resting after dum allows steam to redistribute evenly.
Storage
Refrigerate within 2 hours and keep for up to 3 days. Reheat covered until steaming hot throughout.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 720 kcal, 42 g protein, 82 g carbohydrate and 25 g fat per serving.
Allergen Notes
Contains milk through yogurt and saffron milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dum mean?
Dum is gentle sealed cooking that finishes the rice in trapped steam and aromatics.
