Pakistani Chicken Biryani with Potatoes - Pakistani Biryani is the most flavourful celebration often enjoyed with sides such as Papadum or Salads. This is a popular layered rice and chicken recipe full of vibrancy, rich flavour and fluffy aromatic rice.
The BEST Pakistani Chicken Biryani Recipe
This Biryani recipe is like many other Chicken Biryani recipes in that fluffy Rice and a rich Chicken curry is layered along with Potatoes in one large pot over low heat.
This is a popular recipe that is enjoyed the world over!
Biryani
There are so many varieties of Biryani such as Lucknow Biryani, Masoor Biryani, Kolkata Biryani, Memoni Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Malabar Biryani, Thalassery Biryani, Amber Biryani, Dindigul Biryani, Awadhi Mutton Biryani
and Parda Biryani.
There are layered versions, mixed versions and some versions where both the main elements are served separately.
Typically though Biryani is a layered dish where each layer is slow cooked with herbs and spices and then the layers are combined and layered together where the curry bubbles away with the rice and all the flavours come together in perfect harmony.
Some Biryanis are kacchi Biryani (The meat is uncooked when it is layered) and others are pakki (the meat is cooked before it is layered).
How to make Pakistani Chicken Biryani
For full detailed recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page:
Step 1 - Make the Saffron Milk
Add Saffron to warmed Milk and set aside.
Step 2 - Fry the Potatoes
Heat oil in a deep pot over high heat. Deep fry Potatoes until golden brown. Set aside.
Step 3 - Fry the Onions
Heat oil in pot and fry Onions covered on low until a deep golden brown. Around 25 - 30 minutes.
Note - If your onions haven't coloured after 30 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up and keep an eye on them stirring at regular intervals until the desired colour is reached.
Remove the onions from the pot and cool. I do this in a colander to allow excess oil to drip away.
Step 4 - Make the Chicken Marinade and Curry
Blend the Onions and the remaining ingredients for the Chicken marinade, then add to the Chicken.
Marinade for 30 minutes - 3 hours.
Then cook covered on medium high heat for 15 minutes.
Step 5 - Par boil the Rice
Boil Water in pot, once boiling par cook rice with the whole spices and lemon listed under the Rice section for 10 - 15 minutes on high. Drain and set aside.
Step 6 - Layer the Rice, Chicken and Potaties
In a large pot, add a layer of Rice, Saffron Milk, then a layer of Chicken Curry, Potatoes, Coriander, Mint, Ghee and Fried Onions. Add another layer of Rice and continue till everything is used up.
Top the top layer of Rice with Saffron Milk and dots of Butter/Ghee.
Cover with 2 layers of foil and a lid. Cook on Gas Mark 6/200 C/390 F. For 20 minutes and then GM 4/180 C/350 F for 40 - 45 minutes.
Top tips and Notes
Slow Cooking
Take your time with each layer because this is what makes it so special!
Biryani Masala
If you are not usine Biryani Masala, I would suggest doubling the Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder and adding some whole Spices when cooking the Chicken such as 1 Cinnamon, 3 cloves, 4 Peppercorns, 2 Green Cardamom.
Caramelising onions
This takes 20 - 25 minutes. If you rush this and do it on too high a heat, they will get burnt and taste bitter. Take your time and do it over medium low heat. This means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them.
Type of Rice
I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I like Tilda rice because it is less likely to clump together.
Salt
I only add salt to the chicken layer here and that may seem odd but it works fine.
Taste as you go
Once the chicken layer is done, taste it and adjust before layering.
Check Potatoes
If the Potatoes are a bit hard, microwave them for a couple of minutes.
Kewra Water
A lot of people, add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it.
Eggs
You can serve this Biryani with boiled eggs.
What to serve with this the Best Paskistani Birayni Recipe
This recipe is perfect served with:
- Papadum
- Pickles (Achaar)
- Kacumbur (Salad)
- Raita
Reheating and storing Pakistani Chicken Biryani
Pakistani Chicken Biryani lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated.
More Rice Recipes:
Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice
One Pot Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice
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Pakistani Chicken Biryani with Potatoes
Ingredients
Saffron Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Saffron Threads
- 100 ml Milk Warm
Potatoes
- Oil to Deep Fry
- 2 large Potatoes Peeled and chopped into 1 inch Cubes
Onions
- 4 large Onions sliced
Chicken Marinade
- 1 kg Chicken, skin off, bone in
- 150 g Plain Yoghurt or Greek
- 2 tablespoon Ginger Paste or 3 frozen Blocks/2.5 inch Ginger crushed
- 2 tbsp Garlic Paste or 3 frozen blocks/8 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon Green Chilli Paste or 2 frozen Block
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder Adjust if needed
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 pack Shan Biryani Masala Optional - see notes
- 300 ml Tinned Plum Tomatoes Pureed (Or Passata), or 3 Tomatoes, pureed
- 125 ml Water
Rice
- 2 l Water
- 3 Cups Rice (400 g) Soaked for 30 minutes and then washed until water runs clear
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 large Bay Leaf
- 6 Peppercorns
- 4 Cloves
- 3 Black Cardamom
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Layering
- Chopped Coriander
- Fried Onions Store Brought
- Butter/Ghee For top
- Saffron Milk
- Mint Leaves
- Food Colouring Powdered or liquid
Instructions
Step 1 - Make the Saffron Milk
- Add Saffron to warmed Milk and set aside.
Step 2 - Fry the Potatoes
- Heat oil in a deep pot over high heat. Deep fry Potatoes until golden brown. Set aside.
Step 3 - Fry the Onions
- Heat oil in pot and fry Onions covered on low until a deep golden brown. Around 25 - 30 minutes.Note - If your onions haven't coloured after 30 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up and keep an eye on them stirring at regular intervals until the desired colour is reached.Remove the onions from the pot and cool. I do this in a colander to allow excess oil to drip away.
Step 4 - Make the Chicken Marinade and Curry
- Blend the Onions and the remaining ingredients for the Chicken marinade, then add to the Chicken.Marinade for 30 minutes - 3 hours. Then cook covered on medium high heat for 15 minutes.
Step 5 - Par boil the Rice
- Boil Water in pot, once boiling par cook rice with the whole spices and lemon listed under the Rice section for 10 - 15 minutes on high. Drain and set aside.
Step 6 - Layer the Rice, Chicken and Potatoes
- In a large pot, add a layer of Rice, Saffron Milk, then a layer of Chicken Curry, Potatoes, Coriander, Mint, Ghee and Fried Onions. Add another layer of Rice and continue layering till everything is used up. I usually get 2 layers of Chicken and Potatoes and 3 layers of Rice.
- Top the top layer of Rice with Saffron Milk and dots of Butter/Ghee.
- Cover with 2 layers of foil and a lid. Cook on Gas Mark 6/200 C/390 F. For 20 minutes and then GM 4/180 C/350 F for 40 - 45 minutes.
Notes
Top tips and Notes
Slow Cooking Take your time with each layer because this is what makes it so special! Biryani Masala If you are not usine Biryani Masala, I would suggest doubling the Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder and adding some whole Spices when cooking the Chicken such as 1 Cinnamon, 3 cloves, 4 Peppercorns, 2 Green Cardamom. Caramelising onions This takes 20 - 25 minutes. If you rush this and do it on too high a heat, they will get burnt and taste bitter. Take your time and do it over medium low heat. This means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them. Type of Rice I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I like Tilda rice because it is less likely to clump together. Salt I only add salt to the chicken layer here and that may seem odd but it works fine. Taste as you go Once the chicken layer is done, taste it and adjust before layering. Check Potatoes If the Potatoes are a bit hard, microwave them for a couple of minutes. Kewra Water A lot of people, add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it. Eggs You can serve this Biryani with boiled eggs.What to serve with this the Best Paskistani Birayni Recipe
This recipe is perfect served with:- Papadum
- Pickles (Achaar)
- Kacumbur (Salad)
- Raita
Reheating and storing Pakistani Chicken Biryani
Pakistani Chicken Biryani lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated.
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