As any city in India, Hyderabad offers many local cuisines as well as cuisines across India. However, the most popular dish from Hyderabad is the Hyderabadi dum biryani. Biryani is a complete meal in itself, you don’t need any other dish along with it.

I learnt to cook Biryani in Hyderabad while I was working for Microsoft, Hyderabad. After I came to USA 4 years ago, I learnt to cook Biryani using the local ingredients available in USA. Many of my friends and colleagues have been asking me about my recipe, so I decided to write this blog and share the goodness of biryani.

Ingredients (for 6-8 people):

2.5-3 lbs. of organic boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces. If you are living in USA, you can get it from Trader’s joe.

1. 1 pound basmati rice. My recommendation is India Gate brand, you can easily find it in any Indian store.
2. 2 bundles of cilantro leaves finely chopped.
3. 3 table spoons of dry mint. You can order it from Amazon or get it from any Indian store. If you cannot get it, you can use organic mint leaves available in Trader’s Joe.
   • If you are using dry mint – Put the mint in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain the water.
   • If you are using mint leaves – 10 to 15 mint leaves finely chopped.
4. Banne Nawab’s Hyderabadi Biryani Masala You can get it in any Indian stores such as Apna Bazar (Seattle area). You can also use biryani masala of any other brands available in the local India stored.
5. 3 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste. You can easily get it in any Indian store.
6. 3 tablespoon yogurt
7. 2-3 big red onions finely chopped. If you are preparing it in India use 10-12 medium sized onions.
8. 4-5 tablespoons of ghee. Ghee is also called as clarified butter. You can easily get it in any Indian store, my recommendation is Nanak brand.
9. 1.5 to 2 table spoons of salt.

Directions:

Preparation Time: 30-45 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes

1. Wash the chicken thoroughly and ensure that water is completely drained out.
2. Mix the chicken with the Biryani masala (Masala pack contains 2 packets, put only the packet with contains orange color spice), ginger-garlic paste and curd.
3. Cover the chicken and leave it to marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. For better results leave it for 4 hours.
4. In a flat covered non-stick casserole (called as Kadai in India) put ghee (clarified butter) and heat it for 1-2 minutes.
5. Put chopped onions in the casserole.
6. Put 1.5 to 2 table spoons of salt.
7. Stir onions often till it becomes light brown.
8. Mix the marinated chicken on low flame and mix everything well.
9. Cook chicken for about 15 minutes with constant stirring
10. Put chopped cilantro and mint and stir it for 1 more minute.
11. In parallel, take a pot with amount of water as 1.5 X amount of rice or 1.5 pound of rice in this case.  Heat the water till it reaches the boiling point.
12. Mix rice in the water when the chicken has been cooked for about 15 minutes.
13. Mix the content of second packet in the Biryani Masala pack in the water.
14. Heat the rice and water on medium flame for 10 minutes.
15. Drain any water in the rice and then spread the rice over chicken in the casserole. Make a flat surface.
16. Cover casserole and coke for 5 minutes on medium-low flame. (optional – Put some heavy object on the cover so that water vapors cannot come out)
17. Let the casserole cool for half an hour.
18. You Biryani is ready to be served.