Biryani ranks at the top of my favorite food list. Whenever there is a special occasion in my house, the very first dish comes to my mind is Biryani. Honestly, Friday dinners are kind of a big deal in my house and Biryani is the main part of the dinner.
Biryani in Kolkata was introduced by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow. With Biryani every region and state added there own flavors, according to the produce they had in their region/ state. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned by Britishers and deported him to Kolkata. Luckily, he was accompanied by people who worked for him including his kitchen staff. Once in Kolkata, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah tried to make a little place provided for him to live. You could take a Nawab off the throne but you cannot take the elegance and Royal heart he has. he would ask his Kitchen staff to make Biryani, and would feel low about not having enough grocery specially meat/ chicken. To make th Nawab feel better and to be able to have him feel good about feeding everyone around him with the same love and respect he had in Lucknow, the chef added Potatoes and Eggs to the Biryani. This is how the famous Lucknow Biryani added its flavors and gave birth to Kolkata Biryani.
That’s why Biryanis from different places taste so different. The basic similarity is that every Biryani is cooked with meat and rice in dumm. It’s a dish adored not just all over the sub-continent, but all around the world. Its one of the most popular Indian/ Pakistani dish. However, Vegetable/ Paneer biryani is also well accepted among vegetarians.
Biryani should ideally be prepared in dumm, where the meat and rice are cooked together in an air tight container over low flame. I have posted the recipe of dum biryani and so many different varieties of Biryani from different regions and states of India. Most recipes also have some history/ story of how the recipes were originated, which is always a delight to read, know and share.
So this time I am sharing with you an easier version of dum biryani which is followed in most of the biryani houses in Kolkata. This Biryani is not too spicy. The Biryani has potatoes and the use of Khoya and milk makes the Biryani rich.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Passive Time | 40 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 Lbs Chicken [with bones] cut to medium to small size pieces
- 400 gms Long grain Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 2 No. Potatoes Large, cut to medium size
- 4 No. eggs Hard boiled and halved
- 4 No. Onion sliced
- 1/2 cup Yogurt whisked
- 3 TBSP Ginger garlic paste
- 1 TBSP Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
- 1.5 tsp Biryani Masala recipe in masala
- 6 No. cloves
- 6 No. Green cardamom
- 1 No. Bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp Caraway seeds
- 2 TBSP Milk powder Pheeka mawa/ Khoya
- 1/2 TBSP rose water Gulab jal
- 1 TBSP Screw pine water Kewra water
- 2 TBSP saffron strands soaked in 2 TBSP of Milk
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste
- 3 TBSP Ghee
- 1/2 cup Mustard oil You can always use any other Oil of your choice
Ingredients
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- Marinate the chicken with salt, ginger-garlic paste, biryani masala, yogurt, chilli powder, white pepper powder, biryani masala, kewra water and 1 TBLSP of cooking oil for minimum 2 hours. For best results, marinate the chicken overnight.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into two halves, coat with salt and turmeric powder and boil them till half-cooked. Also smear the boiled eggs with salt and turmeric powder and shallow fry in 1-2 TBSP of oil.
- Heat little oil in a frying pan over medium flame and add Bay leaf, cloves, caraway seeds, cinnamon stick, and cardamom, followed by the onions.
- Fry till golden brown.
- Take 3 TBLSP out for garnishing and keep the rest in the pan.
- Add the marinated chicken to it.
- Cook till oil separates from the mixture, then add approx. 1½ cup of hot water into it.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the chicken get cooked. As chickens become tender, remove them from the pan and keep them aside, reduce the gravy to ¾ of a cup. Add the milk powder.
- Mix the milk powder properly and add 1/2 cup milk.
- Add green chilies and coriander leaves.
- Add a TBSP of oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, caraway seeds, Star Anise, green cardamom and cloves. Add 2 liters of water and salt. Let the water boil. Add the drained rice.
- Cook the rice till it is 50% done. Drain the water and discard whole spices from cooked rice, keep it aside.
- Assembling Chicken & Rice for Dum :Now grease a heavy bottomed pan or preferably a “Handi” (a deep, narrow-mouthed cooking vessel) with ghee. Add a layer of rice. Pour the chicken yakhni onto it. Add lime juice, ghee, ½ cup of milk and the coriander leaves, mix them well.
- Now spread half of the rice over it. Spread saffron milk, rose-water, kewra water, milk powder and remaining ghee over the rice. Then spread the remaining rice and milk at the top and place the eggs over it. Cover the pan with a lid and seal with the dough to make it air tight. Seal it with a dough. Now put a “tawa” on medium-high flame and place the sealed pot containing the chicken & rice over it, cook for 6-8 minutes and then put the flame on low. Cook for another 30-35 minutes till rice get properly cooked. Note : Try to use less weight chicken thighs. It is better if the total weight of 4 chicken thighs is to 700-800 weight. You can also use food colour for colouring the rice. Even ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed with 2 tbspoon of milk can also serve the purpose well. Sprinkle it over the first layer of rice.
- Decorate with the fried eggs and garnish with fried onions. Serve with Onion Raita.
Note : Try to use less weight chicken thighs. It is better if the total weight of 4 chicken thighs is to 700-800 gms. You can also use food color for coloring the rice. Even ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed with 2 TBSP of milk can also serve the purpose well. Sprinkle it over the first layer of rice.