Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Chicken and Marinade:
- 1/2 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tablespoon kashmiri red chili powder (substitute 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne pepper)
- Pinch of ground turmeric
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt (preferably Indian curd)
- 1/4 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Rice:
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- Water (use as much as instructed on rice package)
- 1/2 teaspoon biryani masala
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (Indian curd)
- 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (substitute 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne pepper)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cardamoms
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup cashews (optional)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Raita (Yogurt Sauce) Ingredients (simply mix together):
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup cucumber, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 3 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse basmati rice until the water runs mostly clear. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain well. This ensures it doesn’t get mushy.
- Marinate the chicken by combining the chicken and marinade ingredients into a bowl: ½ lb chicken thighs (cut in half), 1 tbsp biryani masala, ½ tbsp grated ginger, ½ tbsp minced garlic, pinch of salt, ¼ tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, pinch turmeric, ⅓ cup plain yogurt, ¼ tbsp coriander powder, ½ tbsp lemon juice.
- Let sit at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
- In your rice cooker pot, add the soaked & drained rice, and water. Usually 1.5 cups water for 1 cup of soaked basmati rice, but check your rice cooker manual. You can reduce slightly to about 1¼ cup for 1 cup of basmati rice since the chicken and yogurt release liquid.
- To the rice cooker on top to the rice, add ½ tsp biryani masala, ¼ tsp Kashmiri chili powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp yogurt, 2 cardamoms, 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, ½ cinnamon stick, 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint, toasted cashews, and raisins.
- Directly on top of the rice mixture, add the marinated chicken evenly—do not mix it in.
- Close the lid and press the regular white rice setting (not quick cook). Once it’s done, let it rest 10 minutes before opening.
- Open the lid and gently fluff the biryani (don’t overmix—keep some layers!) Top with extra chopped mint + cilantro, and serve with raita (yogurt sauce) and lime wedges.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2