Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken Biryani

This luxurious biryani layers tender butter chicken with fragrant basmati rice, fried onions, and saffron rose water for an unforgettable feast!

📝 Ingredients

(Serves 6-8)

🧂 For Marinating Chicken

• 1kg boneless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder (for color)
• ½ tbsp cumin powder
• ½ tbsp garam masala
• ½ cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup oil
• Handful chopped coriander

🧈 For the Butter Chicken Masala

• 80g butter
• ⅓ cup ghee
• ½ cup fried onions
• ½ cup yogurt
• 10 almonds, blanched & peeled
• 4 tomatoes, puréed
• ⅓ cup biryani masala (or 2 tbsp garam masala + 1 tbsp coriander powder)
• 4 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp sugar (balances acidity)
• ½ tbsp salt

🍚 For Parboiled Rice

• 1kg basmati rice, soaked 30 mins
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 mace blade
• Coriander stems & leaves
• 2-3 lemon slices
• 2 green chilies

🎀 For Layering

• ½ cup fried onions
• ½ cup saffron rose water (1 pinch saffron + ½ cup warm water + 1 tsp rose water)
• ½ tbsp chaat masala
• 1 tbsp ghee
• Extra coriander, chopped

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👨‍🍳 Step-by-Step

1️⃣ Marinate Chicken (2+ hours or overnight)

1. Mix all marinade ingredients, coat chicken thoroughly.
2. Refrigerate minimum 2 hours (overnight for depth).

2️⃣ Cook Butter Chicken Masala

3. Heat butter + ghee in a pot. Sauté fried onions until fragrant.
4. Add almonds, tomato purée, biryani masala, green chilies. Cook 10 mins until oil separates.
5. Stir in yogurt, sugar, salt. Simmer 5 mins.
6. Add marinated chicken, cook 15 mins covered (don’t overcook—it’ll bake more later).

3️⃣ Parboil Rice

7. Boil 4L water with whole spices, lemon, chilies, and coriander stems.
8. Drain soaked rice, cook in boiling water for 5 mins (70% done). Drain immediately.

4️⃣ Layer & Dum Cook

9. In a heavy pot:
   • Layer 1: ½ rice
   • Layer 2: All butter chicken + gravy
   • Layer 3: Remaining rice
   • Toppings: Fried onions, chaat masala, saffron water, ghee, coriander
10. Seal with foil + lid. Cook on low heat (dum) for 25 mins.

5️⃣ Serve

11. Gently fluff, garnish with more fried onions & coriander. Pair with:

• Raita
• Mirchi ka salan

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💡 Pro Tips

✔ Chicken thighs stay juicier than breast.
✔ Saffron hack: Crush strands with sugar before adding to water.
✔ No biryani masala? Mix:

• 1 tbsp garam masala + 1 tbsp coriander powder + ½ tsp turmeric.

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⏲ Timeline

• Day before: Marinate chicken, fry onions.
• Day of: 1 hour active prep, 1.5 hours cooking.

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FAQ

1. Can I use bone-in chicken?
   Yes! Increase marination time to 4+ hours and cook chicken 10 mins longer.

2. How to prevent mushy rice?

• Soak basmati only 30 mins.
• Parboil until 70% done (grain should break with slight pressure).

3. Make-ahead?
Assemble (uncooked), refrigerate, then dum cook +10 mins.