Traditional Pakistani Chicken Biryani

An authentic Pakistani Chicken Biryani recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and full of traditional flavours.

This traditional Pakistani Chicken Biryani is made with a beautiful medley of spices, long grain rice and succulent chicken pieces cooked together to perfection making it into a meal fit for the royals.

Recipe Card

Ingredients Quantity
For Rice
Green chillies 3
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black cardamom 2
Bay leaves 2
Salt 3 ½ tsp
Rice 3 ½ cup
Peppercorns 1 tsp
Cloves 3-4
Mint leaves As required
Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 30 mins) 3 ½ cups
For the Gravy
Potatoes (cut into large chunks) 3 large
Whole spices (2 Bay leaves, 5 green cardamom, 2-star anise, 3-4 cloves, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamom)
Chicken with bones 1.5 Kg
Tomatoes 5
Green chillies 7
Onions 5
Dried plums 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Garam masala ¼ tsp
Salt 3 tsp
Yoghurt 1 cup
For Garnish
Saffron in some hot milk 1 pinch
Butter 50 g
Fried onions As required
Ingredients Quantity For Rice Green chillies 3 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Black cardamom 2 Bay leaves 2 Salt 3 ½ tsp Rice 3 ½ cup Peppercorns 1 tsp Cloves 3-4 Mint leaves As required Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 30 mins) 3 ½ cups For the Gravy Potatoes (cut into large chunks) 3 large Whole spices (2 Bay leaves, 5 green cardamom, 2-star anise, 3-4 cloves, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamom) Chicken with bones 1.5 Kg Tomatoes 5 Green chillies 7 Onions 5 Dried plums 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Coriander powder 2 tsp Garam masala ¼ tsp Salt 3 tsp Yoghurt 1 cup For Garnish Saffron in some hot milk 1 pinch Butter 50 g Fried onions As required

Method of Preparation

  • Boil water with whole spices and green Chili’s. Once boiling vigorously add all of the rice and cook until rice is tender.
  • Strain and set the rice aside in a strainer.
  • Marinate chicken with the spices and yoghurt and keep aside in the fridge.
  • Add oil to a large pot and fry the potatoes until they are just about half-cooked or until the colour changes.
  • Then remove it into a plate and fry onions with whole spices until they are brown in colour.
  • Once brown add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken has changed colour from outside.
  • Once the colour has changed add the chopped tomatoes dried plums and green chillies.
  • Then add water and chopped mint leaves and reduce until no water is remaining.
  • Once the oil has separated from the gravy add the potatoes.
  • Now cover and cook for about 15 mins until the chicken is fully cooked.
  • Once done add the rice on the top of the gravy as another layer and do not mix.
  • Keep the pot on indirect heat max flame until steam is created.
  • Then add chunks of butter, sprinkled garam masala and saffron milk on top.
  • Cover and cooker for 15 mins (until you start to smell the biryani).
  • Once this is complete you can mix a little and serve with some yoghurt!

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About the Contributor

Waliullah Junaid

Food enthusiast and  Certified Professional Chef.

Your Space, Our World

This is a global platform for you to showcase your best for the world to see, in what you love doing most, Cook!To get featured, upload your favourite recipe on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and tag ICCA Dubai with the hashtags #iccadubai and #iccamorningpost.

An authentic Pakistani Chicken Biryani recipe with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and full of traditional flavours.

This traditional Pakistani Chicken Biryani is made with a beautiful medley of spices, long grain rice and succulent chicken pieces cooked together to perfection making it into a meal fit for the royals.

Recipe Card

Ingredients Quantity
For Rice
Green chillies 3
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black cardamom 2
Bay leaves 2
Salt 3 ½ tsp
Rice 3 ½ cup
Peppercorns 1 tsp
Cloves 3-4
Mint leaves As required
Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 30 mins) 3 ½ cups
For the Gravy
Potatoes (cut into large chunks) 3 large
Whole spices (2 Bay leaves, 5 green cardamom, 2-star anise, 3-4 cloves, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamom)
Chicken with bones 1.5 Kg
Tomatoes 5
Green chillies 7
Onions 5
Dried plums 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Garam masala ¼ tsp
Salt 3 tsp
Yoghurt 1 cup
For Garnish
Saffron in some hot milk 1 pinch
Butter 50 g
Fried onions As required
Ingredients Quantity For Rice Green chillies 3 Cumin seeds 1 tsp Black cardamom 2 Bay leaves 2 Salt 3 ½ tsp Rice 3 ½ cup Peppercorns 1 tsp Cloves 3-4 Mint leaves As required Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 30 mins) 3 ½ cups For the Gravy Potatoes (cut into large chunks) 3 large Whole spices (2 Bay leaves, 5 green cardamom, 2-star anise, 3-4 cloves, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 black cardamom) Chicken with bones 1.5 Kg Tomatoes 5 Green chillies 7 Onions 5 Dried plums 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Coriander powder 2 tsp Garam masala ¼ tsp Salt 3 tsp Yoghurt 1 cup For Garnish Saffron in some hot milk 1 pinch Butter 50 g Fried onions As required

Method of Preparation

  • Boil water with whole spices and green Chili’s. Once boiling vigorously add all of the rice and cook until rice is tender.
  • Strain and set the rice aside in a strainer.
  • Marinate chicken with the spices and yoghurt and keep aside in the fridge.
  • Add oil to a large pot and fry the potatoes until they are just about half-cooked or until the colour changes.
  • Then remove it into a plate and fry onions with whole spices until they are brown in colour.
  • Once brown add the chicken mixture and cook until the chicken has changed colour from outside.
  • Once the colour has changed add the chopped tomatoes dried plums and green chillies.
  • Then add water and chopped mint leaves and reduce until no water is remaining.
  • Once the oil has separated from the gravy add the potatoes.
  • Now cover and cook for about 15 mins until the chicken is fully cooked.
  • Once done add the rice on the top of the gravy as another layer and do not mix.
  • Keep the pot on indirect heat max flame until steam is created.
  • Then add chunks of butter, sprinkled garam masala and saffron milk on top.
  • Cover and cooker for 15 mins (until you start to smell the biryani).
  • Once this is complete you can mix a little and serve with some yoghurt!

--

About the Contributor

Waliullah Junaid

Food enthusiast and  Certified Professional Chef.

Your Space, Our World

This is a global platform for you to showcase your best for the world to see, in what you love doing most, Cook!To get featured, upload your favourite recipe on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and tag ICCA Dubai with the hashtags #iccadubai and #iccamorningpost.

Traditional Pakistani Chicken Biryani