Chicken Biryani for a Crowd
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2¾ hours
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
15 cardamom pods, preferably green, smashed with chef's knife2 cinnamon sticks 3 inch piece fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch-thick coins and smashed with chef's knife1 teaspoon cumin seed 5 quarts water table salt 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and patted dry with paper towelsGround black pepper 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 medium onions, sliced thin (about 8 cups)4 medium jalapeño chiles, 2 with seeds and ribs removed and chopped fine, 2 chopped fine with seeds and ribs8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)2 ½ cups basmati rice 1 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crumbled½ cup dried currants or raisins¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Before You Begin
Biryani is traditionally served with a cooling yogurt sauce; ideally, you should make it before starting the biryani to allow the flavors in the sauce to meld. See related recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cumin seed in small piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, bring water, spice bundle, and 1 tablespoon salt to boil over medium-high heat; reduce to medium and simmer, partially covered, until spices have infused water, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides; add half of onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and dark brown about edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add half of jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl, wipe skillet clean with paper towels, and repeat with second batch of onions, jalapenos, and garlic. Transfer to bowl with rest of onion mixture, season lightly with salt, and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towels, return heat to medium-high, and place all eight chicken thighs skin side down in skillet; cook, without moving chicken, until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown second side, 4 to 5 minutes longer; transfer chicken to plate and remove and discard skin. Tent with foil to keep warm.
- If necessary, return spice-infused water to boil over high heat; stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice through fine-mesh strainer, reserving 3 cups cooking liquid; discard spice bundle. Transfer rice to medium bowl; stir in saffron and currants (rice will turn splotchy yellow) and season with 1/4 teaspoon table salt. Spread half of rice evenly in bottom of now-empty Dutch oven using rubber spatula. Scatter half of onion mixture over rice, then place chicken thighs, skinned side up, on top of onions; add any accumulated chicken juices. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and mint, scatter remaining onions over herbs, then cover with remaining rice; pour 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid evenly over rice.
- Cover Dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and check bottom of pan. If dry, add up to 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Cook about 20 minutes more or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Run heatproof rubber spatula around inside rim of Dutch oven to loosen any affixed rice. Transfer chicken thighs to separate plate. Stir rice thoroughly. Using large serving spoon, spoon biryani into individual bowls, serving 1 chicken thigh per person.
Time
2¾ hoursYield
Serves 8Ingredients
15 cardamom pods, preferably green, smashed with chef's knife
2 cinnamon sticks
3 inch piece fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch-thick coins and smashed with chef's knife
1 teaspoon cumin seed
5 quarts water
table salt
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and patted dry with paper towels
Ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium onions, sliced thin (about 8 cups)
4 medium jalapeño chiles, 2 with seeds and ribs removed and chopped fine, 2 chopped fine with seeds and ribs
8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
2 ½ cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crumbled
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Ingredients
15 cardamom pods, preferably green, smashed with chef's knife
2 cinnamon sticks
3 inch piece fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch-thick coins and smashed with chef's knife
1 teaspoon cumin seed
5 quarts water
table salt
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and patted dry with paper towels
Ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium onions, sliced thin (about 8 cups)
4 medium jalapeño chiles, 2 with seeds and ribs removed and chopped fine, 2 chopped fine with seeds and ribs
8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
2 ½ cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crumbled
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Ingredients
15 cardamom pods, preferably green, smashed with chef's knife
2 cinnamon sticks
3 inch piece fresh ginger, cut into ½-inch-thick coins and smashed with chef's knife
1 teaspoon cumin seed
5 quarts water
table salt
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and patted dry with paper towels
Ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium onions, sliced thin (about 8 cups)
4 medium jalapeño chiles, 2 with seeds and ribs removed and chopped fine, 2 chopped fine with seeds and ribs
8 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
2 ½ cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crumbled
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Why This Recipe Works
The best chicken biryani recipes place long-grain basmati at center stage, enriching it with butter, saffron, and a variety of fresh herbs and pungent spices. For our biryani recipe, we browned chicken thighs, then removed the skin before layering the chicken with the rice, lots of caramelized onions, and just the right blend of spices. To get the most flavor out of the spices, we tied them into a cheesecloth bundle and simmered them in the rice cooking water for at least 15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Before You Begin
Biryani is traditionally served with a cooling yogurt sauce; ideally, you should make it before starting the biryani to allow the flavors in the sauce to meld. See related recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cumin seed in small piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, bring water, spice bundle, and 1 tablespoon salt to boil over medium-high heat; reduce to medium and simmer, partially covered, until spices have infused water, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides; add half of onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and dark brown about edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add half of jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl, wipe skillet clean with paper towels, and repeat with second batch of onions, jalapenos, and garlic. Transfer to bowl with rest of onion mixture, season lightly with salt, and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towels, return heat to medium-high, and place all eight chicken thighs skin side down in skillet; cook, without moving chicken, until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown second side, 4 to 5 minutes longer; transfer chicken to plate and remove and discard skin. Tent with foil to keep warm.
- If necessary, return spice-infused water to boil over high heat; stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice through fine-mesh strainer, reserving 3 cups cooking liquid; discard spice bundle. Transfer rice to medium bowl; stir in saffron and currants (rice will turn splotchy yellow) and season with 1/4 teaspoon table salt. Spread half of rice evenly in bottom of now-empty Dutch oven using rubber spatula. Scatter half of onion mixture over rice, then place chicken thighs, skinned side up, on top of onions; add any accumulated chicken juices. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and mint, scatter remaining onions over herbs, then cover with remaining rice; pour 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid evenly over rice.
- Cover Dutch oven and place in preheated oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and check bottom of pan. If dry, add up to 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Cook about 20 minutes more or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Run heatproof rubber spatula around inside rim of Dutch oven to loosen any affixed rice. Transfer chicken thighs to separate plate. Stir rice thoroughly. Using large serving spoon, spoon biryani into individual bowls, serving 1 chicken thigh per person.
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