# Jumbo Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani ## Description A large-batch Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani, perfect for gatherings, featuring fragrant Basmati rice layered with succulent marinated chicken and aromatic spices, cooked to perfection using the traditional dum method. ## Quick Facts - Calories: 650 per serving - Prep Time: 30 minutes - Cook Time: 45 minutes - Total Time: 75 minutes - Servings: 8 - Difficulty: medium - Cuisine: Indian - Health Score: 6.5/10 ## Nutrition Per Serving - Calories: 650 - Protein: 55g - Carbohydrates: 95g - Fat: 40g - Fiber: 3g - Sugar: 5g - Sodium: 800mg ## Dietary Information This recipe is: Nut-Free ## Ingredients (8 servings) - 1.5 kg Chicken (cut into large pieces) - 1 kg Basmati Rice (approx. 5 cups, soaked for 30 minutes) - 1 cup Yogurt (plain, full-fat) - 4 large Onions (thinly sliced) - 4 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste - 6 pieces Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) - 0.5 cup Mint Leaves (chopped) - 0.5 cup Coriander Leaves (chopped) - 0.5 cup Ghee or Oil - 2.5 teaspoons Salt (or to taste) - 2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder - 1.5 teaspoons Garam Masala - 2 tablespoons Biryani Masala - 3 pieces Bay Leaves - 7 pieces Green Cardamom Pods - 2 pieces Black Cardamom Pods - 11 pieces Cloves - 1 2-inch piece Cinnamon Stick - 2 pieces Star Anise - 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns - 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice - 1 pinch Saffron Strands (soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk) - 2 tablespoons Food Color (yellow/orange, optional, dissolved in water) ## Instructions 1. In a large bowl, combine 1.5 kg chicken pieces with 1 cup yogurt, 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, 6-8 green chillies, 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves, 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves, 2.5 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons red chili powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1.5 teaspoons garam masala, 2 tablespoons biryani masala, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Marinate for at least 2-4 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. 2. Heat 0.5 cup ghee or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (handi or deg) over medium-high heat. Add 4 thinly sliced onions and fry until they turn golden brown and crispy. This is called 'birista'. Remove about half of the fried onions and set them aside for garnishing later. 3. To the remaining oil in the pot, add the whole spices: 3 bay leaves, 6-8 green cardamom pods, 2 black cardamom pods, 10-12 cloves, 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. 4. Add the marinated chicken to the pot with the whole spices. Cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken changes color and the yogurt starts to release its liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is about 70% cooked. 5. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and a few drops of oil (optional) to the water. Add the 1 kg (5 cups) soaked Basmati rice and cook until it is 70% cooked (al dente). The grains should still have a slight bite. Drain the rice immediately. 6. Once the chicken is partially cooked, spread half of the par-boiled rice evenly over the chicken layer in the pot. Sprinkle with some of the reserved fried onions, a few fresh mint leaves, and coriander leaves. 7. Drizzle the saffron milk (saffron strands soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk) and a few drops of dissolved food color (2 tablespoons water with yellow/orange food color, if using) over the rice layer. 8. Add the remaining par-boiled rice as the top layer, spreading it evenly. Garnish with the remaining fried onions, fresh mint, and coriander leaves. 9. Cover the pot tightly with a lid. For best results, you can seal the edges of the lid with a strip of dough to prevent steam from escaping (dum cooking method). Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to very low and continue to cook for 20-25 minutes. This allows the biryani to cook in its own steam. 10. Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, undisturbed, for 10-15 minutes before opening the lid. This allows the flavors to meld and the rice to firm up. Gently fluff the biryani with a large spoon, mixing the layers from bottom to top. Serve hot with raita (yogurt dip) and salan (gravy). ## Allergen Information Contains: dairy ## Tags biryani, hyderabadi, chicken, indian-cuisine, spicy, aromatic, dum-style, feast ## Source Recipe by: THINDHAM THIRUGUDHAM Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/YQfg64JEMxI?si=H0bgQ9g1z8DA24Ee ## Machine-Readable Data ### Recipe Metadata ```json { "id": "7a3dc49a-6cb5-4d0d-8535-36509a59b622", "youtube_id": "YQfg64JEMxI", "title": "Jumbo Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani", "cuisine_type": "Indian", "meal_type": [ "dinner", "lunch" ], "difficulty_level": "medium", "servings": 8, "prep_time_minutes": 30, "cook_time_minutes": 45, "total_time_minutes": 75, "health_score": 6.5, "created_at": "2025-07-04T03:38:41.000Z", "updated_at": "2025-07-04T03:38:41.000Z" } ``` ### Ingredients Data ```json { "servings": 8, "ingredients": [ { "name": "Chicken", "amount": 1.5, "unit": "kg", "notes": "cut into large pieces" }, { "name": "Basmati Rice", "amount": 1, "unit": "kg", "notes": "approx. 5 cups, soaked for 30 minutes" }, { "name": "Yogurt", "amount": 1, "unit": "cup", "notes": "plain, full-fat" }, { "name": "Onions", "amount": 4, "unit": "large", "notes": "thinly sliced" }, { "name": "Ginger-Garlic Paste", "amount": 4, "unit": "tablespoons", "notes": null }, { "name": "Green Chillies", "amount": 6, "unit": "pieces", "notes": "slit lengthwise" }, { "name": "Mint Leaves", "amount": 0.5, "unit": "cup", "notes": "chopped" }, { "name": "Coriander Leaves", "amount": 0.5, "unit": "cup", "notes": "chopped" }, { "name": "Ghee or Oil", "amount": 0.5, "unit": "cup", "notes": null }, { "name": "Salt", "amount": 2.5, "unit": "teaspoons", "notes": "or to taste" }, { "name": "Red Chili Powder", "amount": 2, "unit": "teaspoons", "notes": null }, { "name": "Turmeric Powder", "amount": 1, "unit": "teaspoon", "notes": null }, { "name": "Garam Masala", "amount": 1.5, "unit": "teaspoons", "notes": null }, { "name": "Biryani Masala", "amount": 2, "unit": "tablespoons", "notes": null }, { "name": "Bay Leaves", "amount": 3, "unit": "pieces", "notes": null }, { "name": "Green Cardamom Pods", "amount": 7, "unit": "pieces", "notes": null }, { "name": "Black Cardamom Pods", "amount": 2, "unit": "pieces", "notes": null }, { "name": "Cloves", "amount": 11, "unit": "pieces", "notes": null }, { "name": "Cinnamon Stick", "amount": 1, "unit": "2-inch piece", "notes": null }, { "name": "Star Anise", "amount": 2, "unit": "pieces", "notes": null }, { "name": "Cumin Seeds", "amount": 1, "unit": "teaspoon", "notes": null }, { "name": "Black Peppercorns", "amount": 1, "unit": "teaspoon", "notes": null }, { "name": "Lemon Juice", "amount": 2, "unit": "tablespoons", "notes": null }, { "name": "Saffron Strands", "amount": 1, "unit": "pinch", "notes": "soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk" }, { "name": "Food Color", "amount": 2, "unit": "tablespoons", "notes": "yellow/orange, optional, dissolved in water" } ] } ``` ### Nutrition Data (per serving) ```json { "calories": 650, "macros": { "protein_g": 55, "carbs_g": 95, "fat_g": 40, "fiber_g": 3, "sugar_g": 5, "sodium_mg": 800 }, "dietary_tags": { "vegan": false, "vegetarian": false, "gluten_free": false, "dairy_free": false, "nut_free": true } } ``` --- This recipe is from CalorieGram Recipes - Your AI-powered healthy recipe discovery platform. Visit https://recipes.caloriegram.ai for more healthy recipes.