chicken marinade:

2 tsp. garam masala
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
juice from 1/2 lime
3 Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 lb. chicken, cubed

  • mix spices, then add all ingredients to bowl and mix well
  • cover and refrigerate for 1 hour

biryani:

2 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cardamom (or 4 pods)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (or 1” stick cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1/8 tsp. cloves (or 6 whole cloves)

  • heat oil over medium-high heat in large pot and add all ingredients, frying until the onions are light brown (do not burn onions or it will leave a bitter taste)
  • add chicken and saute for 5 minutes
  • reduce heat to low, cover and cook until chicken is completely cooked (5 minutes)
  • remove lid and saute for 5 minutes to reduce moisture

1 cup vegetables
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. chile powder
1 cup basmati rice

  • mix vegetables, yogurt, and spices into chicken then transfer to rice cooker bowl
  • spread rice on top of chicken

3/4 cup water
1 cup chicken stock

  • if not already warm, heat water and chicken stock
  • pour over rice very gently to avoid disturbing the rice
  • close rice cooker and cook as normal
  • rest covered for 15 minutes

source: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-biryani-recipe/

8/6/2023: cooked rice on lowest flame for 10 minutes, and there was still water above it. increased heat a tiny bit and cooked another 10 minutes, and it was still not cooked. cooked another 10 minutes and it seemed cooked, so i rested for 15 minutes, but upon eating, it was a little too firm. the rice package recommended bringing to a boil and boiling until the water was no longer above the rice, so i might do that next time.

2/12/2023: much closer with current mods, but overspiced and missing something at the same time. reducing chili powder, adding some garlic and cumin, and updating instructions a bit.

09/02/2024: made this again last night and it was good other than needing to add more water to get the rick to finish cooking (i’ve fixed the recipe). we also talked about the flavor profile needing something, and here are some things that might help:

  • using basmati rice instead of whatever rice i have on hand
  • adding some chicken stock instead of some of water
  • saffron
  • turmeric
  • anise
  • adding some eggplant, peas, chickpeas, or other veggies

11/17/2024: made this again and got a much better flavor, but still had issues with the rice not being cooked and having to boil off excess moisture. i probably need to use basmati rice for this dish, so i’ve updated the recipe to reflect that and the changes i made last night:

  • replacing 2 cups of the water with chicken stock
  • using all ground spices (other than caraway seeds)
  • added some peas and broccoli
  • adding coriander
  • increasing lime juice

01/30/2025: updating with slightly reduced liquid and using a rice cooker as suggested by some other recipes i looked at. made it this way and it was the best i’ve ever made — though it was too much for the rice cooker, so i reduced the rice and liquid to fit next time more rice and liquid, which overflowed)