Chicken Tikka Biryani

Make delicious chicken tikka biryani, full of aromatic flavor, for your next gathering or family dinner. It's a perfect combination of two famous dishes in one!

5 from 2 votes

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Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Servings Servings

Calories 349 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 teaspoon saffron strands
½ cup warm milk or water

For the Marinade:

¼ cup plain yogurt, full-fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice, 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
6 garlic cloves, ground into paste
1 - inch ginger, ground into paste

For the Chicken:

3 tablespoons ghee
1 pound chicken, bone-in and skinless (thighs, legs, quarters)

For the Rice:

3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4 whole green cardamom
4 black cloves
1 bay leaf

For the Gravy:

3 tablespoons ghee
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, ground into a paste
1 - inch ginger, ground into a paste
2 medium Roma tomatoes, pureed
3 tablespoons yogurt, whisked
1-2 green peppers, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
4 whole green cardamom remove the green shells and grind into a powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
⅓ cup water

Instructions

For the Prep:

Combine ingredients for marinade a mixing bowl. Make 1-3 slits in the chicken pieces, and transfer them to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Then, transfer the rice to a bowl and cover it with water to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Add the saffron strands to a small bowl. Using the back of a spoon, gently crush some of the strands and stir in the milk. Set them aside to combine.

Cooking the Rice:

Drain the soaking water and add the rice to a medium sauce pan with three cups of water. Add the salt, cardamom, black cloves, and bay leaf.
Bring the saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the rice is tender but not fully cooked, for about 8-10 minutes. Discard the excess water and set the rice aside.
Tip: The rice will not have absorbed all of the water.

Preparing the Gravy:

Warm ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized, for about 10-15 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and ginger paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the pureed tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any stuck on bits.
Stir in the whisked yogurt and continue cooking for 3 minutes until the ghee escapes to the sides.
Add the green chiles, cilantro, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Fry the mixture for 1 minute.
Add the water and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the ghee separates, and set it aside.
Tip: Use the water to scrape up any stuck on bits for added flavor.

Cooking the Chicken:

Warm ghee in large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the chicken thighs into the pan in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Set it aside.
Tip: You may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

For Assembly:

Coat the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven with ghee. Add half of the rice to the bottom of the pan, then spread the gravy mixture over the top.
Layer the cooked tikka over the gravy and cover it with the remaining rice.
Pour the reserved saffron milk evenly over the rice. Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 20 minutes. Combine the chicken and rice, to serve.

Notes

Expert Tips:

I recommend scoring the chicken and marinating it for at least one hour to ensure the flavor penetrates. Use the marinade suggested in this recipe – it’s delicious!
You should cook the rice 90 percent of the way (8-10 minutes) so it is slightly undercooked. Once you layer it with the other ingredients, it will continue to cook and steam until it is tender and soft.
I rely on a cooking technique called ‘bhunning’ when preparing the gravy; this means reducing (cooking for a while) until the ghee escapes to the sides. Too much liquid in the gravy will make your rice watery and mushy when you layer it, and no one wants that.

Nutrition Disclosure:

The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!