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Easy 30-Minutes One Pot Biryani

This no-hassle biryani is so easy, you can make it with closed eyes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 5 persons
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups (400 grams) long grain basmati rice (I used Daawat brand extra long basmati)
For the spice paste:
  • ½ cup (125 grams) full fat yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste (if using separate ginger and garlic pastes, take 1 Tbsp of each)
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste (substitute: 4 Tbsp tomato puree)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (deghi or Kasmiri preferred) (add more for a spicier biryani)
  • ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tsp salt
Whole spices:
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 mace (javitri)
  • 2 black cardamom pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 green cardamom pods
Other ingredients:
  • 1 big white onion
  • a generous handful of coriander
  • 20-25 fresh mint leaves
  • 1 green chili
  • 3 Tbsp ghee (or any other oil/fat)
  • 3 cups (700 ml) water
  • 2 cups (600 grams) boneless chicken breast (cut into equal sized pieces-not too small)

Method
 

Soaking rice:
  1. Wash the rice thoroughly until the water that comes out of it isn’t cloudy anymore. Let it soak until needed.
Spice paste preparation:
  1. Add all the ingredients mentioned under spice paste into a bowl. Mix until a homogeneous paste is formed. Set aside.
Whole spices preparation:
  1. In a mortar and pestle, add all the above mentioned whole spices. Pound to roughly crush the whole spices. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can simply use a heavy object to crush the spices or use them as it is.
Chopping:
  1. Peal and thinly slice the onion. Finely chop the coriander (with stem) and mint leaves. Slice the green chili.
Cooking:
  1. Take a big and wide pot. Add ghee and let it heat up on medium heat.
  2. Add the sliced onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
  3. When the onion just starts to turn brown, add the crushed whole spices. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. When the onion turns golden brown, add the prepared spice paste. Turn the heat on medium low and sauté for about 4 minutes until oil appears on the surface. Keep stirring so the spices don’t burn. (if the mixture looks too dry and is sticking to the bottom, add splashes of water from time to time).
  5. Add the chicken and turn heat on medium/medium high. Stir occasionally and cook until the chicken changes color from all sides (about 3 minutes).
  6. Add the water and let it come to a boil. Drain the rice thoroughly.
  7. Once the water boils, add the drained rice along with the chopped coriander, mint and green chili. Let it cook uncovered on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  8. Once the rice appears on the surface, cover the pot with an aluminium foil first, followed by a good fitting lid. Make sure that it is properly sealed and no air escapes from the pot. Reduce the heat to lowest and let cook for 15 minutes.
  9. After 15 minutes, uncover and either transfer to a serving dish or fluff using a fork. If the rice is left to sit into the pot for too long, it may turn clumpy.
  10. Serve with raita and marinated (or lemon drizzled) onion.