Bohri Biryani

Dawoodi Bohras are a Shia Muslim community. Most people from this community are settled India and Pakistan. As much as the people are loving, they are very generous hosts and love serving their guests to the best of their ability. We happen to have few friends from the community and we love their food.

My Mom had a best friend who passed away a few years ago and also happened to be a Bohri Muslim. She was a super fabulous cook and made amazing food and some of her recipes were just hard to make since, it missed out the flavors of her hand. I still remember tasting my first home baked bread at her house and the way she smothered the butter on the bread slice and I loved each bite of that slice. May her soul rest in peace.

So, with all the fabulous people around me, surprisingly no one cooked Biryani. Now, as a Biryani lover I had so much about how their families cooked Biryani in those Big “deg” [a big vessel made of copper or iron] but, they just couldn’t get down to following the hard recipe to make the same Biryani.

I have never met another crazy woman like me, who goes around collecting recipes from different places and communities. I bet sometimes people find that super annoying and honestly, after so much research I have lost the count to how many trials of different Biryanis I have done. Some got wasted since they weren’t so good. But, the collection I offer are from the best ones I made and they came out to be super delicious and fabulous.

Coming back to the Bohri Biryani. After a lot of research from different people, I made this Biryani which is as good as it can be from a Bohri family. Bohri Biryani uses Nutmeg and Mace. So, if its your preference to not use it, then its your personal choice but otherwise Bohri Muslims are allowed to consume both the spices. Do try it and if you miss out on anything or find anything confusing, feel free to ask.

Print Recipe

Bohri Biryani

Chicken Biryani cooked with Potato in Bohri style.

Votes: 3
Rating: 5
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Indian, Mughlai

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Passive Time

20 minutes

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 500 gms Long grain Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
• 1 Kg Chicken [with bones] Cut to 10-12 pieces
• 1/2 +1/2 tsp Shahi zeera 1/2 for Yakhni and 1/2 for Rice
• 5 No. Green cardamom
• 1 + 1 No. Black Cardamom 1 for Yakhni and 1 for Rice
• 4 + 4 No. cloves 4 for Yakhni and 4 for Rice
• 2 No. Cinnamon stick medium size
• 6 No. whole black pepper
• 12 No. Green chilies less if you like it less spicy
• 3 TBSP Ginger garlic paste
• 4 No. Potatoes cut to medium sized cubes
• 1.5 tsp Red chili powder
• 1/2 cup Yoghurt
• 2 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 tsp Mace crushed
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
• 4 No. Onions sliced
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp saffron strands
• 3 tsp Kewra water
• 1/2 tsp Yellow food color optional
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup Mint leaves chopped
• 2 tsp Ghee

Course Main Dish Cuisine Indian, Mughlai Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Passive Time 20 minutes Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 500 gms Long grain Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes 1 Kg Chicken [with bones] Cut to 10-12 pieces 1/2 +1/2 tsp Shahi zeera 1/2 for Yakhni and 1/2 for Rice 5 No. Green cardamom 1 + 1 No. Black Cardamom 1 for Yakhni and 1 for Rice 4 + 4 No. cloves 4 for Yakhni and 4 for Rice 2 No. Cinnamon stick medium size 6 No. whole black pepper 12 No. Green chilies less if you like it less spicy 3 TBSP Ginger garlic paste 4 No. Potatoes cut to medium sized cubes 1.5 tsp Red chili powder 1/2 cup Yoghurt 2 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp Mace crushed 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder 4 No. Onions sliced 1/4 tsp cardamom powder 3/4 cup olive oil 1/4 tsp saffron strands 3 tsp Kewra water 1/2 tsp Yellow food color optional 1/4 cup Coriander leaves chopped 1/4 cup Mint leaves chopped 2 tsp Ghee

Votes: 3 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Make Hara Masala: Add green chillies and ginger garlic to make a paste.

   
2. To Boil Rice: Add ghee to the pan. Add Black cardamom, cloves, cardamom powder and Shahi zeera. Once they splutter, add 12 cups of water. Add a few mint leaves and 1 tsp salt,. Let the water come to a boil and add the soaked rice [drain the water in which rice is soaked]. Let it boil till its 70% cooked. It should be hard from the sides and soft from the middle. Drain the water.

   
3. To make Chicken Masala: Heat pan on medium flame, add oil. Add black cardamom (bari elaichi), cinnamon stick, cloves and black peppercorns and cumin seeds. Add Onions and cook till they turn golden brown. Take 3/4 of the onions out and crush the onions.

   
4. Add chicken to the pan and then add hara masala. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes.

   
5. Add potatoes and mix. Add salt, Turmeric Powder and Red chili powder.

   
6. Add 1 cup little water to help and then add yoghurt and mix.

   
7. Add crushed browned onions, nutmeg powder and mace powder. Cover with lid, and let it cook on medium-low heat.

   
8. Once the chicken is almost cooked, add fresh chopped coriander leaves, green chilies and mint leaves, mix and cover. Once the water is evaporated and chicken is cooked, remove from heat.

   
9. In the chicken pan, put the potatoes and chicken pieces against the sides of the pan, so that it forms a ring. There will be oil and masala left in centre of the pan. Then cover with the rice, without mixing.

   
10. In a bowl dissolve yellow color, saffron and kewra essence, and sprinkle over on one side of the rice. Sprinkle 2-3 tsp of oil over the rice as well. Cover with lid, and on very low heat, put the biryani on dum (steam) on gas for 20 mins.

    
11. Serve with cucumber raita.

    

Recipe Notes

• Note: You can make this chicken biryani with red meat; just add potatoes and other masala (spices) once the meat has cooked.