ByHey everyone, this is Anjali and I’m so excited to share with you my absolute favorite dish – Bengali-Style Chicken Biriyani.
As someone who grew up in a Bengali household, Biriyani was something that we would always have at special events and when our family got together.
Chicken Biriyani is a popular dish in many parts of the world, and it is particularly beloved in the Indian subcontinent.
The aromatic spices, tender chicken, and fragrant rice make it the ultimate comfort food for me.
There are many different variations of chicken biriyani, and one of the most delicious is the Bengali-style chicken biriyani.
In this blog post, we will explore the Preparation of the Bengali-Style Chicken Biriyani Easy Recipe, its ingredients, and the steps to make this tasty dish.
Table of Contents
History of Bengali-style Chicken Biriyani
Bengali-style chicken biriyani originated in the Bengal region of eastern India, which is now divided between India and Bangladesh.
It is believed that this dish was first created in the kitchens of the Muslim rulers of Bengal, who were known for their culinary prowess.
The dish was then popularised among the wider population and became a staple of Bengali cuisine.
Bengali-Style Chicken Biriyani
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice
- 3-4 green cardamom pods
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Water
For the chicken:
- 1 kg chicken, cut into pieces
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 2-3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain curd (tok doi)
- Everest Biriyani Masala
For the Birista:
- Refined Oil
- Thinly Sliced Onions
Instructions
Step 1: PREPARING THE RICE
- Wash the rice in normal water and soak it for 30 minutes.
- Drain the rice and keep it aside.
- Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat.
- Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaf, and salt to the water.
- When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and cook it until it is about 75% done.
- Drain the rice and keep it aside.
Step 2: MAKING OF BIRISTA
- Heat refined oil in a pan or kadhai.
- As the oil starts heating (not too hot) add the sliced onions into it and fry till golden brown.
- Keep it aside as we will need it while layering.
- NOTE- DO NOT OVER COOK THE ONIONS.
Step 3: FRYING THE POTATO
- Take a bowl.
- Add the washed peeled medium-sized potato.
- Add yellow food colour or haldi and salt.
- Mix it nicely in a rubbing motion.
- On the same leftover oil after frying the birista add the marinated potatoes.
- Fry it for 3-5 minutes.
- Keep it aside as we will need it while layering.
Step 4: COOKING THE CHICKEN
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onions and fry until they are golden brown.
- Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, and chopped green chilies and fry for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot and fry them until they are browned on all sides.
- Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and salt and fry for a minute.
- Add the Everest Biriyani Masala. Add the plain curd (tok doi) to the pot and mix well.
- Add the fried potatoes and mix slowly in a folding motion (making sure nothing breaks).
- Cover the pot and let the chicken cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it is tender.
- Turn off the flame and keep the chicken aside.
Step 5: LAYERING THE CHICKEN BIRIYANI
- Before layering or assembling the chicken, keep everything ready as mentioned above.
- Add ghee to the pot and spread it on all the sides of the pot with a brush or hand itself (We Bengalis prefer “Jharna Ghee '' as it tastes better than normal ghee).
- Keep the potatoes and chicken in a different bowl or plate as preference.
- Keep the boiled eggs ready.
- Keep the liquid mixtures and kesar water ready.
- Take a large pot (‘hari’ where we cook rice) and layer the rice first and then add the chicken in it.
- Add the biriyani masala after every layer of rice and chicken.
- Sprinkle the liquid mixture with a small spoon (kewra, gulab, and meetha attar).
- Similarly, add the kesar water for color. Add some fried onion between the layers as well.
- Then starting with a layer of rice, then a layer of chicken, and then another layer of rice.
- Add the liquid mixture as mentioned above.
- Continue until all the rice and chicken have been used up.
- Add a few drops of ghee, liquid mixture, kesar water, and biriyani masala on the top layer.
Video
Ingredients We Need to Make Chicken Biriyani [Main List]
- Basmati Rice
- Potatoes
- Eggs
- Ghee – Jharna Ghee
- Cardamon
- Cloves
- Bay Leaf
- Chicken
- Onions
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Green Chillies
- Cumin Powder
- Turmeric Powder
- Red Chilli Powder
- Salt
- Refined Oil / Vegetable Oil
- Curd (Dahi)
- Food Colour (optional use turmeric powder instead)
- Kewra Water
- Gulab Jal Or Rose Water
- Saffron (Kesar)
- Meetha Attar
- Biriyani Masala – EVEREST
The main step is arranging every small detail before we start making the most famous Kolkata Style OR Bengali Style Chicken Biriyani.
- Wash and soak the rice.
- Boil the eggs. Peel and keep it aside.
- Cut the onions and potatoes.
- Marinate the potatoes (Mentioned Below).
- Fry the onions (birista).
- Fry the marinated potatoes.
- Prepare the liquid mixture (Mentioned Below).
- Soak the saffron.
To make Bengali-Style Chicken Biriyani. Here are a few steps:
1. For the rice:
- 2 cups of long-grain basmati rice
- 3-4 green cardamom pods
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Water
2. For the chicken:
- 1 kg of chicken, cut into pieces
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons of garlic paste
- 2-3 green chilies, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of plain curd (tok doi)
- Everest Biriyani Masala
3. For the Birista:
- Refined Oil
- Thinly Sliced Onions
NOTE-
- Soak a few strands of saffron in water (Kesar) in a small bowl and let it rest aside.
- Take a bowl and add 1 tbsp kewra water, 1 tbsp gulab jal, and a few drops of meetha attar (2-4 drops). Keep it aside.
- Boil the eggs. Peel and keep it aside.
Steps to Make Bengali-style Chicken Biriyani
Step 1: PREPARING THE RICE
- Wash the rice in normal water and soak it for 30 minutes. Drain the rice and keep it aside.
After 30 Minutes. Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaf, and salt to the water.
When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and cook it until it is about 75% done. Drain the rice and keep it aside.
Step 2: MAKING OF BIRISTA
- Heat refined oil in a pan or kadhai. As the oil starts heating (not too hot) add the sliced onions into it and fry till golden brown. Keep it aside as we will need it while layering.
NOTE- DO NOT OVERCOOK THE ONIONS.
Step 3: FRYING THE POTATO
- Take a bowl.
- Add the washed peeled medium-sized potato.
- Add yellow food color or haldi and salt.
- Mix it nicely in a rubbing motion.
- On the same leftover oil after frying the birista add the marinated potatoes.
- Fry it for 3-5 minutes.
- Keep it aside as we will need it while layering.
Step 4: COOKING THE CHICKEN
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onions and fry until they are golden brown.
- Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, and chopped green chilies and fry for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot and fry them until they are browned on all sides.
- Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and salt and fry for a minute.
- Add the Everest Biriyani Masala.
- Add the plain curd (tok doi) to the pot and mix well.
- Add the fried potatoes and mix slowly in a folding motion (making sure nothing breaks).
- Cover the pot and let the chicken cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it is tender.
- Turn off the flame and keep the chicken aside.
Step 5: LAYERING THE CHICKEN BIRIYANI
- Before layering or assembling the chicken we need to keep everything ready. As mentioned above.
- Add ghee to the pot and spread it on all the sides of the pot with a brush or hand itself (We Bengalis prefer “Jharna Ghee ” as it tastes better than normal ghee.
- Keep the potatoes and chicken in a different bowl or plate as preference. Keep the boiled eggs ready. Keep the liquid mixtures and kesar water ready.
- Take a large pot (‘hari’ where we cook rice) and layer the rice first and then add the chicken to it. Add the biriyani masala after every layer of rice and chicken.
- Sprinkle the liquid mixture with a small spoon( kewra,gulab, and meetha attar). Similarly, add the kesar water for color. Add some fried onion between the layers as well.
- Then starting with a layer of rice, then a layer of chicken, and then another layer of rice. Add the liquid mixture as mentioned above.
- Continue until all the rice and chicken have been used up.
- Add a few drops of ghee, liquid mixture, kesar water, and biriyani masala on the top layer.
- Add boiled eggs to the top layer.
- Cover the pot or ‘hari’ with aluminum foil or just use the wheat dough to seal the sides (‘atta’ which we need while making roti)
- Place it on the gas (try to use tawa and then place the hari or pot- this will help the biriyani to not stick in the bottom)
- Cook it in the lowest heat possible for 10-15 minutes.
- Close the flame and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
End Words
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for Bengali-Style Chicken Biriyani as much as I do.
It’s a dish that’s close to my heart and always brings back fond memories of family gatherings and celebrations.
The process of cooking it is just as enjoyable as the end result, and I encourage you to experiment with the spices and ingredients to make it your own.
Whether you’re cooking for yourself or for loved ones, this dish is sure to impress and satisfy. So, grab your apron and get cooking!
Check out our- Chicken Pakora Recipe!
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