My husband is a biryani lover and never misses an opportunity to try various kinds of biryani. Each time we travel to India, we are on a mission to find the best biryani around. This Andhra Chicken Biryani is something we happened to find many many years ago in Bangalore-based Andhra restaurants. In the past 2 decades, restaurants have come and gone but this particular biryani variety seems to be the most ordered even in Mid-2022. Labelled as must-try and top-selling on the Menus, this Andhra Chicken Biryani is super flavorful, tasty, spicy and surprisingly you will fall in love with it. These are a kind of budget-biryani and do not qualify to be on the Menus of standard or star restaurants due to the usage of Vanaspati and high amounts of MSG. My version of Andhra Chicken Biryani comes somewhat close to the biryani served in these Bangalore-based Andhra restaurants. But definitely made healthier if you use all good ingredients. It is made like a one pot dish and may look like a Chicken Pulao but is actually a Biryani since this dish uses plenty of spices and is also optionally dum cooked at the last step. Here is some important information about the ingredients used and the possible substitutes
Ingredients & Substitutes
Rice: Andhra Chicken Biryani can be made with various kinds of premium quality rice, ranging from basmati to sona masuri but always make sure you use aged rice only. In Andhra restaurants you will find it being made only with basmati or a mix of basmati and premium quality short rice. So remember to use only aged rice only. Water: Since this is a one pot biryani, you need to be careful with the amount of water you use. If you add less, you can add extra later while the biryani is still cooking. But if you add more the resulting dish will be a mush. Keep an extra hot boiling water on the side so you can easily adjust while cooking. Biryani Masala: Though I have a separate Biryani masala recipe on this blog, I highly recommend making your own using my recipe that I shared in the recipe card below. Every spice blend is different and this Andhra style version is less pungent and more fragrant. Green Chilies: The heat in this Andhra biryani comes mainly from the hot green chilies. I suggest not to use more red chili powder for heat but instead increase the chilies if you want it spicy. Red chilli powder alters the flavor here. You may use Indian thin chilies or Thai green chilies or serrano peppers.
How to make Andhra Chicken Biryani (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
- Prepare the biryani masala, soak the rice, slice onions, green chilies and marinate the chicken from the recipe card instructions below. Heat oil in a cooker or a heavy bottom pot. Add all the whole spices –
1 large bay leaf or 2 small2 inch cinnamon stick4 cloves3 green cardamoms¼ black pepper corn (optional)1 to 2 star anise⅛ nutmeg small1 strand mace
- When they begin to sizzle add the sliced onions & green chilies. Fry them on a medium heat until golden. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes off.
- Add chopped mint/pudina and coriander leaves. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add marinated chicken. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on a slightly high flame.
- Add biryani masala powder and fry until the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan. Pour hot water. Using hot water prevents the chicken from turning hard and fibrous.
- Cover and cook on a medium heat until the water begins to boil. Make sure chicken is almost cooked by now else continue to cook until it turns slightly tender. Drain the rice completely and add it to the boiling water. Stir in half teaspoon salt. If you add rice before chicken is cooked, it may not get cooked further.
- Cook uncovered until most of the water evaporates but still soggy with some water. Cover and place the pot on a hot tawa/griddle. Dum cook for 5 minutes on a low flame. If making in a pressure cooker, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes on a very low flame. Do not let the cooker whistle. When the pressure drops, open the lid and fluff up them rice. If you see the biryani rice is under cooked, pour some boiling hot water and cook further. Serve Andhra chicken biryani with easy onion raita. Related Recipes
