chicken biryani recipe | easy chicken biryani in pot or pressure cooker

easy chicken biryani in pot or pressure cooker that tastes delicious, flavorful and can be made in a jiffy. You can also find my video on how to make easy chicken biryani recipe at the end of this post. This is one of the recipes, i have tried my best to keep simple and explain well for the beginners so that you do not go wrong. I highly recommend beginners to watch the video which i have shared at the end of the post.
 
This can be prepared in a pot or casserole or pressure cooker too. You can use any ready made garam masala or biryani masala. Iam also sharing a instant biryani masala powder, if you do not have a readymade masala, you can make it in just few minutes.
 
This chicken biryani can be made under 30 minutes, one of the best for beginners, students or bachelors. If you do not have a blender for making ginger garlic paste, mince them well and with the bottom of a glass crush them on the chopping board.
 
To make chicken biryani in a pot or pressure cooker, you need to use curd to get the tang and to tenderize the chicken. You will be surprised at how easy and delicious this turns out to be.
 

step by step photos on how to make easy chicken biryani recipe

1. Add chicken, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, masala powder, 1  ½ tbsp.curd/ yogurt, salt and turmeric to a pot.

2. Mix everything well and set aside. For how long to marinate depends on your convenience. The longer you marinate, the softer chicken it yields. But keeping it for at least 30 mins to 1 hour is suggested. You can also marinate the previous night or for few hours and refrigerate. Cover the bowl and wrap in a plastic bag / cover and refrigerate.

3. Wash rice and soak it for 30 minutes. Drain off the water completely and set aside.  Add oil to a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pot or non stick. Saute cinnamon, cloves, shahi jeera, cardamoms until they begin to sizzle. If you have you can also use mace, dagad phool and star anise / star flower.

4. Add onions and fry until they turn transparent or golden is better if you have time.

5. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone completely.

6. Add chicken and saute.

7. Saute until it turns pale or whitish.
8. Add coriander, pudina, chopped tomato, red chili powder, 1 ½ tbsp. curd

9. Mix and fry until the tomatoes turn mushy completely. If using large chicken leg pieces, you can cover and cook at this moment. Add biryani masala or garam masala powder. Stir and saute for 1 minute.  Moisture should evaporate completely. You can check the video to find how exactly i cook. By this step chicken is almost cooked


10. Add 3 ¼ cups water and little more salt to a separate bowl. Stir and check if the salt is enough. It must be lightly salty. We have already added salt for marination so a little is enough. Then add it to the pan and bring it to a boil.


11. Add drained rice and stir.

12. Cook until the water almost evaporates but still soggy.

13. Cover and cook on a medium flame until the rice is fully cooked. Some variety rice needs more water, if the rice is uncooked, you can sprinkle little water. If using normal rice you may need to add  ¼ cup more water.

14. If you are cooking in a pressure cooker, cover it at this stage and cook for just 3 to minutes on the lowest flame. Do not allow the cooker to whistle if using basmathi rice. If using normal rice, then you can allow to whistle once.

15. When the pressure is off, open the lid. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and add boiled eggs. fluff up gently and cover and allow to rest for a while. Serve with onion raita.

Easy delicious Chicken biryani that can be prepared in a pressure cooker

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Yield / Serves: 3

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

dry spices to Temper

• 1 bay leaf
• 3 green cardamoms
• 4 to 6 cloves
• Small Cinnamon stick
• 1 Star anise
• ½ tsp. shahi jeera

marinate

• 1 ½ tbsp curd/ yogurt
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• Salt as needed
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder
• ½ to ¾ tsp biryani masala or garam masala powder

Other ingredients

• ½ kg chicken
• 2 cups of aged basmathi rice
• 3 ¼ cups water or thin coconut milk(if using normal rice use little more water)
• 2 tbsp. Oil
• Salt as needed
• 1 medium tomato (about half cup)
• 1 ½ tbsp curd/ yogurt
• 12 mint leaves / pudina finely chopped
• coriander leaves from 12 stems finely chopped
• 1 ½ ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chilies sliced or chopped
• 1 large onion sliced thinly
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder

To powder (or use 2 tsps readymade biryani masala or garam masala )

• Very small nutmeg piece
• 4 cardamoms
• ¼ to ½ tsp. Pepper corn
• 5 cloves
• Small cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp. fennel seeds / saunf
• ½ tsp. stone flower / kalapasi (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak rice for at least 20 to 30 minutes. If using normal rice (not basmathi) soak it for 30 minutes.
2. Marinate chicken using ingredients under marination. Set this aside.
3. Add oil to a pressure cooker and heat it. Add the dry spices and saute till they begin to sizzle.
4. Add onions and fry till they turn golden, add ginger garlic and fry till the raw smell goes off.
5. Add chicken and fry till the color changes.
6. Add chopped tomatoes, yogurt, red chili powder, corinader, pudina.
7. Cook till the mixture turns thick and dry. By now the chicken should be almost cooked soft.
8. Add the rest of the masala powder and fry till you get a nice smell.
9. Pour water or thin coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
10. Drain off the rice completely and add it to the cooker.
11. Cook till the water very little is left, cover the pressure cooker lid and turn on the flame to very low. If using basmathi rice, cook it for about 3 to 5 minutes, do not let it whistle. If using normal rice that is slightly on the harder side to cook allow it to whistle once.
12. Let the pressure go down. Fluff up the rice with a fork. Or transfer it immediately to a wide utensil to prevent turning mushy.
13. If desired you can drizzle one spoon of ghee, coriander leaves and boiled eggs.
14. Serve chicken biryani in pressure cooker with onion raita or biryani shorba or sherva.