- High in protein
- High in dietary fibre
- Seafood free
- Shellfish free
- No added sugar
- Wheat free
- Soy free
- Peanut free
- Nut free
- Sesame free
- Gluten free
- Egg free
Complete your Indian-inspired feast with this aromatic layered dish of basmati rice, marinated chicken and plenty of spices.
- Serves4, serves 4-6
- Cook time1 hour
- Prep time30 minutes, + 3 hours chilling time
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500g) Greek-style yoghurt
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3cm piece ginger, finely grated
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp salt
- 800g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into thirds
- 1/4 cup (60ml) warm milk
- Pinch saffron threads (about 12)
- 1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, rinsed, drained
- 25g butter
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 20 curry leaves
- 1 long green chilli
- 4 whole star anise
- 5 cardamom pods, bruised
- 1/4 cup (35g) raisins
- 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
- Extra curry leaves, to serve
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Place the yoghurt in a large bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon and half the salt. Add the chicken and stir to evenly coat in yoghurt mixture. Cover and place in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight to develop the flavours.
Step 2
Combine the milk and saffron in a small bowl. Set aside to soak.
Step 3
Heat 2 tsp of the oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until dark golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Step 4
Meanwhile, place the rice in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover rice by 2cm. Stir in the remaining salt. Place over medium heat and bring to the boil. Drain well. Set aside.
Step 5
Add butter and 2 tsp of the remaining oil to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until seeds begin to pop and mixture sizzles. Remove from heat. Add the milk mixture and rice and stir to combine. Set aside.
Step 6
Thinly slice half of the chilli. Finely chop remaining chilli.
Step 7
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly spray the base of a deep 24-cup (6L), heavy-based ovenproof pan with spray oil.
Step 8
Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the star anise and cardamom pods and cook for 2 mins or until aromatic. Stir in chopped chilli. Add the chicken mixture and cook, turning occasionally, for 10 mins or until chicken is almost cooked through and yoghurt marinade thickens slightly.
Step 9
Arrange half the chicken mixture over base of prepared dish. Sprinkle with half the raisins, half the onion mixture and half the coriander leaves. Spoon over half the rice. Repeat with chicken mixture, raisins, onion mixture and rice. Cover tightly with 2 layers of foil. Cover with a lid. Bake for 25 mins or until rice is tender. Remove from oven and set aside, covered, for 10 mins to steam. Use a fork to gently separate the grains. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with remaining coriander, curry leaves and sliced chilli. Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe tip
Use a deep rather than large ovenproof dish for this recipe, to allow the biryani to be assembled and cooked in layers.
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Use it up: Store leftover spices in the pantry and save them for future Indian-inspired dishes like butter chicken, spiced potatoes or veggie curries.
Chicken biryani recipe
Loaded with plenty of spices and aroma, this easy chicken biryani recipe is the perfect dish to serve up around the dinner table. Originally hailing from the Indian subcontinent, biryani is a versatile dish that primarily consists of layers of rice, Indian spices and protein, and is cooked and loved all around the world. Our Indian-inspired version feeds four to six people, making it a staple at your next dinner party as part of an Indian feast, or when you need to feed a crowd.
How to make chicken biryani
Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients needed to make this biryani. While this recipe calls for spices like garam masala, paprika, turmeric and mustard seeds, once you have these in your arsenal, these will form a great base for future Indian-inspired dishes. The secret to a good biryani is allowing all the flavours to develop before it’s layered together to achieve juicy, succulent chicken and perfectly fluffy rice. Ensure you set aside enough time to marinate the chicken in the spiced yoghurt mixture and use a large, deep pot to seal in all the layers.
How to serve chicken biryani
This biryani recipe is best served with extra curry leaves for added crunch and lemon wedges to brighten up the chicken and rice flavours. If you’re serving biryani as part of a larger feast, we recommend pairing it with homemade naan and other Indian-inspired staples like samosa and bhaji, as well as larger mains like tikka masala, tandoori chicken or keema.
Now get cooking
Like this recipe? For more chicken and rice recipes from around the world, try this Spanish-style chicken and rice, one-pan herb chicken and rice or Tasia and Gracia’s Hainanese chicken rice.
