An aromatic pot of flavourful rice with flavourful spices and herbs - biryani is one dish that can melt many hearts in minutes. Let me be honest and confess that a plate full of this meaty goodness is my ultimate go-to feast. Keeping all the momos, pastas and pizzas of the world aside, biryani is a winner above all. No wonder it is immensely loved not just in India but across the globe. While it is believed to have been introduced to India by the Mughals, it has been thoroughly embraced by all across India and even abroad. Thanks to the popular Indian chefs, biryani has got many fans worldwide. And we are lucky to have not just one, two or three types of biryanis, one can find a whole lot of variety as youmove from one state to another. If Mughals brought it to the northern belt of India, specifically in Lucknow, it is believed that the Arabs introduced it to the South of India. From Calicut-special to the Hyderabadi marvel and the mouth-watering flavours of Thalassery biryani, there is no end to the diversity in just this one-pot rice dish.
And then there are different method and style of cooking a biryani too, which varies from 'dum' style to the 'handi' biryani, and much more. And while you can choose the meat that you want to cook the biryani with. If you ask me, I would pick chicken any day. Not only is it easily found everywhere but is also super versatile and easy to cook. No wonder chicken biryani is one of the most popular one out of the lot. Aromatic rice with juicy, masaledaar chicken makes for a delicious and wholesome meal, doesn’t it? It can be a perfect dish for special occasions and even for the days you crave nothing but biryani. Well, I have those days a lot. And I regret not knowing how to cook it, until last month when I really pestered my mother to teach me basic process of it. So she took me through a quick version of chicken biryani, which is easy and too delicious to resist.
She started off with certain tips and tricks that one should keep in mind while cooking biryani. Here we go:
1. The Ratio
To not have less of rice or less of meat in your pot of biryani, always have a balanced ratio. My mother suggested a simple rule of taking equal quantity of meat and rice by weight i.e 1:1 ratio. That means 1 kg meat for 1 Kg rice.
2. Check Salt
Salt is said to break or make the biryani. Basically, if your rice lacks salt, biryani will lack all the flavor. Make sure to use salt in all steps, right from marination of meat to boiling rice. The water for boiling the rice should have a soupy salt level.
3. Oil
While you can go less on oil in some Indian recipes, biryani calls for a generous amount.
4. The Pot
A wide and thick bottomed pot is advised to cook biryani in.
Now that you know some of the basic tips to cook biryani, let’s get to the recipe. This chicken biryani recipe is perfect and quick enough for you to try it on any weekday dinner too. With generous use of aromatic spices and herbs and juicy chicken thigh, along with saffron inducing a beautiful colour, you cannot not try this one at home.
Find the full recipe of chicken biryani here. Try it at home and share your experience with us.
