Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe in one pot – with detailed step-by-step pics

Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe in one pot – with detailed step-by-step pics. This is a super delicious yet easy to make Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe I prepared at home just in one pot. A simple Hyderabadi biryani recipe prepared with long grain rice, meat, ghee, homemade spices & saffron, not even following the authentic method of the Hyderabadi biryani recipe. It is a pakki dum biryani(pakki means meat is cooked before putting in dum). So except for making rice, from cooking chicken to putting in dum the whole preparation is made in a single pot. How I use a deep non-stick pot to make this biryani recipe is best & easy to cook any biryani recipe for 5-6 people. Even applying my method you may prepare this biryani in a microwave oven pot in your microwave oven too.

I love to make this Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe because it does not take long hours to cook, prepared the pot for dum without wasting wheat/atta dough, but rather use tissue paper. No readymade packet biryani masala is used in this chicken biryani. Very simple homemade spices are used in making this hyderabadi biryani masala. Even taste & flavor-wise this recipe is so exotic & best that can easily beat the taste of popular Hyderabadi restaurants’ biryani too. 

In Hyderabad, biryani is originally served with Baingan ki salan(an Andhra style Brinjal curry). However onion-cucumber raita is one of more best options I used for this biryani side. 

Best to prepare this Hyderabadi chicken biryani for any house party like birthday or family get-together or potluck parties. Even you can prepare this biryani for the coming Ramzan festival or ongoing in-house Iftar parties too. 

Side dishes suggested for Hyderabadi biryani

You may check some of my other side dishes to enjoy this Hyderabadi biryani recipe –

Kolkata mutton chaap recipe

Kolkata chicken chaap recipe

Bengali chicken rezala recipe

Mutton masala recipe

Mutton keema recipe

Mutton kofta curry recipe

Try this recipe & let me know your valuable comment/feedback in the comment section below. 

Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe in one pot – with detailed step-by-step pics

Recipe by Moumita PaulCourse: Main courseCuisine: Hyderabadi/IndianDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

7

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

25

minutes

Hyderabadi chicken biryani is a classic dish combined with long grain fragrant white rice & chicken flavored with saffron, ghee & garam masala, prepared in dum pukht style in one pot. It is easy to make at home if you know which spices are used in making this biryani. 

Ingredients

• Marinating chicken

• ○ 7 Chicken drumsticks/leg pieces(about 790 g) 

• ○ 7 Garlic cloves

• ○ 1/2 inch Ginger

• ○ 2 green Chillies

• ○ 1/2 tsp Chilli powder

• ○ 3/4 tsp Turmeric powder

• ○ 1/2 tsp Salt

• ○ 1&1/4 tsp Biryani masala

• ○ 1/4 cup Unflavoured Yogurt/Hung Curd

• ○ 1/2 Lime Juice

• ○ A handful of chopped Coriander leaves

• ○ A handful of chopped Mint leaves

• ○ 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder

• ○ 1 tsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
  

• For making biryani rice

• ○ 800 g Old/ Matured long grain basmati rice/Dehradun rice

• ○ 2 bay leaves

• ○ 3 pcs(each 3/4 inch) cinnamon stick

• ○ 6 cloves

• ○ 4 green cardamom

• ○ 1 black cardamom

• ○ 1/2 tsp shahi jeera

• ○ 1 tsp salt

• ○ 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  

• For making Beresta

• ○ 4-5 tbsp Ghee

• ○ 1/2 cup/8 tbsp Vegetable oil

• ○ 4 medium-sized Onions(Finely sliced )
  

• For Assembling Biryani(in each layer)

• ○ Rice(to fully cover the last layer)

• ○ 3 tbsp Saffron soaked milk

• ○ 1/2 tsp Salt(sprinkling)

• ○ 1/4 tsp of Hyderabadi biryani masala sprinkle

• ○ A fist of Beresta

• ○ 2-3 tbsp of Ghee

• Hyderabadi biryani masala

• ○ 1&1/2 tbsp Shahi jeera

• ○ 1 tsp Fennel seeds

• ○ 4 tbsp Coriander seeds

• ○ 2 inches (2-3 pcs) Cinnamon stick

• ○ 10-12 Green cardamom

• ○ 8-10 Cloves

• ○ 1 Black Cardamom

• ○ 2 pcs Bay leaves

• ○ 1 tsp Black pepper

• ○ 2 tsp Dry rose petals

• ○ 1-Star Anise/chakriphool

• ○ 1 Mace/Javitri

• ○ 1/2 Nutmeg/jaiphol

• ○ 1 tsp Stone flower/pattar ke phool
  
  Dry roast the spices described above & grind to make a fine powder called Hyderabadi biryani masala.

Instruction

• Chicken marination
• Clean & wash the chicken pieces(7 drumstick/leg pieces or any biryani cut chicken pieces net weight 790 g). 
• Take it in a mixing bowl, and add the masala paste(which contains 7 garlic cloves, 1/2 inch ginger & 2 green chilies). 
• Then add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 3/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1+1/2 tsp biryani masala, 1/4 cup or 4 tbsp thick hung curd/unflavoured yogurt, a handful of chopped coriander leaves, a handful of chopped mint leaves, 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder.
• Lastly adding 1 tsp ghee completes the marination. Mix all the masala with chicken. Cover it & let it marinate for at least 45 mins -1 hr. 
• Cooking Biryani rice
• Take the rice(800 g old or matured long-grain white basmati rice/fragrant Dehradun rice) in a big mixing bowl, and wash it in running water 5-6 times. 
• Soak the rice in the same bowl with an ample amount of water for at least 30 mins.
• After 30 mins of waiting, take a big vessel, fill its 3/4 portion with water, and add the whole gram masala spices(2 bay leaves, 3 pcs/ 3/4 inch cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 4 green cardamoms,1 black cardamom, 1/2 tsp shahi jeera), 1 tsp salt & 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
• Once the water starts boiling, strain the rice from the water(used for soaking) & put it into the boing water.
• Cook the rice until the rice is cooked 80% means not totally cooked but almost soft from the inside.
• Immediately strain the rice starch & keep it in a strainer to remove all the starch remaining in the rice. 
• Beresta making(crispy onion frying)
• Heat a deep heavy bottom pan/pot(I took a heavy bottom non-stick pot/pan) on medium to high flame. Add 4-5 tbsp ghee & 1/2 cup(8 tbsp) vegetable oil to the pot.
• Once the oil gets hot, add finely sliced 4 medium-sized onions to it & fry it on high flame.
• Stir it continuously to evenly fry the onion from all sides.
• Once the onion gets light golden brown, immediately remove the onion from the oil.
• Keep it in a tissue paper-lined plate to soak excess oil.
• Our crispy golden brown onion aka beresta is ready. Beresta is one important ingredient of any shahi recipe, especially biryani.
• Making Hyderabadi chicken biryani
  
• To Cook chicken
• Use the same pan using frying onion, only keep 4-5 tbsp oil in the pan. Take out the leftover oil from the pan(use it later while assembling biryani).
• Add the marinated chicken to the pan, and roast it in oil for 1 min. Then add 2 handfuls of beresta(a little crushed by hand) to it. Mix it well.
• Add saffron-soaked milk(4 tbsp warm milk+1 pinch saffron strands) to the pan, and mix it well with the chicken & cook it.
• Once the chicken gravy dries off, then add 3/4 cup or around 180 ml of masala water(water mixed with the leftover masala in the bowl used for chicken marination).
• Let the chicken gravy starts boiling, closed the pan with a tight lid.
• After cooking for a few mins, when the chicken gets soft & tender and the chicken leg’s bones are visible means the chicken is ready.
  
• Raise the heat to high, and let the gravy boil until the gravy gets thick & oil floats over the gravy.
• Turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the oven.
  
• To assemble biryani
• Take the chicken pot, and clean the inner sides of the pot with tissue paper to nicely clean the excess masala & oil stuck to its inner sides.
• First, sprinkle 3 tbsp saffron-soaked milk, and add the first layer of rice to fully cover the chicken.
• Add a sprinkle of salt, then sprinkles of biryani masala(quantities mentioned in the ingredients), then ghee+oil(excess oil used to prepare beresta), then 3 tbsp saffron-soaked milk & a fist of beresta.
• Then again spread white rice, fully cover the last layer, then again 3 tbsp saffron soaked milk, again sprinkle salt, again biryani masala, again ghee+oil, again beresta.
• Lastly, cover it with the rest of the rice, sprinkle 3 tbsp ghee+oil from the top, and Close the pot with its tight lid. 
• Dum method
• First closed the whole(on the glass lid) with tissue paper if prepared in a nonstick pot.
• Then lengthwise fold the tissue paper & put it between the pan and its lid, this way seal the whole mouth of the pot & make it airtight. You can seal the pot with kitchen cloths or wheat/atta dough too. 
• Put a used tawa on the gas oven, and make it hot on high flame for 10 mins.
• Then put the biryani pot on the tawa, and heat it on high flame for the first 10 mins.
• Thereafter slow down the heat to its low. Let the biryani cook on dum for another 15-20 mins. 
• Then turn off the heat & remove the pan from the oven. Hyderabadi chicken Biyani is ready.
• Serving suggestion
• Before serving the biryani, remove all the tissue papers from the mouth of the pot.
• Then take a small plate or wide spatula, from one side gently remove the rice layers then gently take out the chicken pieces from the bottom.
• Serve this chicken biryani on a plate with enough biryani rice with one chicken piece. Garnish this hyderabadi biryani with one boiled egg(cut into half), sprinkle with some beresta, chopped fresh coriander & fresh mint. Serve with onion-cucumber raita or baingan ka salan(a Andhra style brinjal curry).

Notes

• As per the serving rule of Biryani, first gently removes the rice from one side, then take out the meat pieces. Do it gently to keep all the rice grains intact. Otherwise, biryani rice can get broken or mashed. That can spoil your long-term effort & the original taste of biryani.

Instructions

How to make Hyderabadi chicken biryani recipe (with step-by-step pics)

Chicken marination

• Clean & wash the chicken pieces(drumstick/leg pieces or any biryani cut chicken pieces). 

• Take it in a mixing bowl, and add the masala paste(which contains 7 garlic cloves, 1/2 inch ginger & 2 green chilies). 

• Then add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 3/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1&1/2 tsp biryani masala, 1/4 cup thick hung curd/unflavoured yogurt, handful of chopped coriander leaves, a handful of chopped mint leaves, 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder.

• Lastly adding ghee completes the marination. Mix all the masala with chicken. Cover it & let it marinate for at least 45 mins -1 hr. 

Biryani rice cooking

• Take the rice(old or matured long-grain white basmati rice/fragrant Dehradun rice) in a big mixing bowl, and wash it in running water 5-6 times. 

• Soak the rice in the same bowl with an ample amount of water for at least 30 mins.

• After 30 mins of waiting, take a big vessel, fill its 3/4 portion with water, add the whole gram masala spices(2 bay leaves, 3 pcs/ 3/4 inch cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 4 green cardamoms,1 black cardamom, 1/2 tsp shahi jeera), 1 tsp salt & 2 tbsp vegetable oil.

• Once the water starts boiling, strain the rice from the water(used for soaking) & put it into the boing water.

• Cook the rice until 80% ready means not totally cooked but almost soft from the inside.

• Immediately strain the rice starch & keep it in a strainer to remove all the starch remaining in the rice. 

Beresta making

• Heat a deep heavy bottom pan/pot(I took a heavy deep bottom non-stick pot/pan) on medium to high flame. Add 4-5 tbsp ghee & 1/2 cup or 8 tbsp vegetable oil to the pot.

• Once the oil gets hot, add finely sliced onion to it & fry it on high flame.
• Stir it continuously to evenly fry the onion from all sides.

• Once the onion gets light golden brown, immediately remove the onion from the oil.

• Keep it in a tissue paper-lined plate to soak excess oil.
• Our crispy golden brown onion aka beresta is ready. Beresta is one important ingredient of any shahi recipe, especially biryani.

Making Hyderabadi Chicken biryani

To cook chicken

• Only keep 4-5 tbsp oil in the pan. Take out the leftover oil from the pan(use it while assembling biryani).
• Add the marinated chicken to the pan, and roast it in oil for 1 min. Then add 2 handfuls of beresta(a little crushed by hand) to it. Mix it well.

• Add saffron-soaked milk(4 tbsp warm milk+1 pinch saffron strands) to the pan. Then mix it well with the chicken & cook it.

• Once the chicken gravy dries off, then add 3/4 cup of masala water(water mixed with the leftover masala in the bowl used for chicken marination). Let the chicken gravy starts boiling, closed the pan with a tight lid.

• After cooking for a few mins, when the chicken gets soft & tender and the chicken legs’ bones are visible, means it is ready. As shown pic below.

• Raise the heat to high, let the gravy boil until the gravy gets thick & oil floats over the gravy.

• Turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the oven.

Assembling biryani

• Take the chicken pot, first clean the inner sides of the pot with tissue paper to nicely clean the masala & oil stuck to it.

• Then first sprinkle 3 tbsp saffron soaked milk, and add the first layer of rice to fully cover the chicken.

• Add a sprinkle of salt, then sprinkles of biryani masala(quantities mentioned in the ingredients). Then ghee+oil(excess oil used to prepare beresta), then 3 tbsp saffron soaked milk & a sprinkle of beresta.

• Then again spread white rice, fully cover the last layer. Again sprinkle 3 tbsp saffron soaked milk, again sprinkle salt, again biryani masala, again ghee+oil, again beresta.

• Lastly, cover the last layer with the rest of the rice. Then sprinkle 3 tbsp ghee+oil from the top, and Close the pot with its tight lid. 

Dum method

• First closed the hole(on the glass lid) with tissue paper if prepared in a nonstick pot.

• Then lengthwise fold the tissue paper & put it between the pan and its lid. This way seal the whole mouth of the pot & make it airtight. You can seal the pot with kitchen cloths or wheat/atta dough too.

• Put a used tawa on the gas oven, and make it hot on high flame for 10 mins.

• Then put the biryani pot on the tawa, and heat it on high flame for the first 10 mins.

• Thereafter slow down the heat to its low. Let the biryani cook on dum for another 15-20 mins.

• Then turn off the heat & remove the pan from the oven. Hyderabadi chicken Biyani is ready.

Serving suggestion

• Before serving the biryani, remove all the tissue papers from the mouth of the pot.

• Then take a small plate or wide spatula, from one side gently remove the rice layers. Then gently takes out the chicken pieces from the bottom.

• Serve this chicken biryani with enough biryani rice with one chicken piece. Garnish this hyderabadi biryani with one boiled egg(cut into half), sprinkle with some beresta, chopped fresh coriander & fresh mint. Serve with onion-cucumber raita or baingan ka salan(a Andhra style brinjal curry).

Notes

As per the serving rule of Biryani, first gently removes the rice from one side, then take out the meat pieces. Do it gently to keep all the rice grains intact. Otherwise, biryani rice can get broken or mashed. That can spoil your long-term effort & the original taste of biryani.