Mughlai chicken biryani is a tasty, mildly spicy, and aromatic dish authentic to Mughlai cuisine which is strongly influenced by the Turko-Persian cuisine of Central Asia, the region where the early Mughal emperors originally hailed from, and it has strongly influenced the regional cuisines of modern Afghanistan, Northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. And this delicious biryani is best served for lunch and dinner along with raita.
This biryani is one of the royal authentic delicacies of Mughlai cuisine and has variations introduced by people from different regions by altering the spices. Thus, every variation of the biryani has a unique aroma and taste of ground spices and this is one among them. This Mughlai biryani is a flavorful, aromatic, and perfect centerpiece for any party or festive.
This biryani has other variations according to the interest and preference of an individual taste buds. Some of them are,
Mughlai Mutton biryani or goat biryani
Mughal Vegetable biryani
Mughlai Prawn biryani
Mughlai Egg biryani
Related Recipes
Please find similar recipes below. Click Biryani or Chicken recipes for more.
- Chicken Biryani
- Chicken and Rice
- Ambur Briyani
- Fish Biryani
- Shrimp Biryani
- Mutton Biryani
- Mushroom Biryani
- Vegetable Biryani
- Biryani Rice (Kuska Rice)
Looking for more Biryani recipes and different chicken recipes to cook for your next meal or a party? Then you could also check this collection of Biryani Recipes and Indian Chicken Dry and Semi Gravy Recipes to accompany your main dish and to enjoy with your family and loved ones.
Mughlai Biryani recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video instructions for Mughlai Biryani below and I believe it will help you to make this authentic and delicious dish at home. You could also find this reicpe in story format for a quick reference.
📖 Recipe
Mughlai Biryani
Ingredients
To Marinate
- 2.25 lb Chicken, cut and cleaned (¾ kg is also ideal)
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp All spice powder
- ¼ cup Curd
To Prepare Rice
- 5 cups Water
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 Star anise
- 4 Cloves
- 3 Cinnamon, small sticks
- 1 Javitri, or ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- 4 Cardamom
- 1 Bay leave
- ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1½ cup Basmati Rice, soak for 15 minutes and drain
To Prepare Chicken Gravy
- ¼ cup Oil
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Javitri, or ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- 3 Cloves
- 3 Cinnamon, small stick
- 4 Cardamom
- 1 Bay leave
- ¼ cup Cashew nut
- 1 cup Onion, sliced
- 3 Green chili, sliced
- ¾ tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp All Spice Powder
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves
- 2 Tomato, chopped
- ¾ cup Water
- ¼ cup Fried onion, for layering
- 2 tsp Orange food color
- 1 tbsp Ghee
Instructions
To Marinate
- In a bowl add chicken pieces with chili, coriander, turmeric powder, yogurt, 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, and salt
- Marinate the chicken and keep it aside for at least about 30 minutes
To Prepare Rice
- In a wide bottom pan with hot water, add 5 cups of water and spices mentioned in the preparation of rice list above
- Now add the washed basmati rice and allow it to cook
- Once 70% of rice is cooked, switch off the stove, drain the rice and keep it aside
To Prepare Chicken Gravy
- In a wide bottom pan, add ghee/oil, cashew nuts, cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, star anise, mace, green chili, onion, and saute it until the onions turn translucent
- Now add chopped mint leaves and saute well
- Add chili, coriander, allspice powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw aroma leaves and then add chopped tomatoes, sauté until it turns mushy
- Add the marinated chicken pieces to the mixture and combine everything well
- Close and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes until it leaves water
- Give it a stir and add water to the chicken and close and cook again for 10 to 12 minutes
- Now open the lid and simmer the heat and cook the gravy until it turns reddish-brown in color
- Remove the chicken from the pan
To Layer The Biryani
- Start the layering with chicken mixture, cooked rice, fried onions, and mint leaves
- Continue the process until everything evenly layered and spread
- Mix food color in warm milk and sprinkle it on the layer along with the fried onion, a pinch of allspice powder, and drizzle ghee
- Close the lid and cook the biryani in dum for at least 15 minutes in low flame
- Open the lid and gently fluff the biryani
To Serve
- Serve the warm Mughlai chicken biryani with onion yogurt dip
Video
Notes
- For the best taste, use chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Marinate the chicken and rest it at least for 30 minutes for the chicken to absorb masala well
- Soak basmati rice for 15 minutes to get fluffier biryani
- Do not over cook the rice which makes the biryani mushy
- Layering and cooking the biryani in dum helps the dish to absorb all the flavors and aroma from the chicken and spices
- Food color used here is an optional ingredient and it can be skipped or replaced with saffron diluted in warm milk
- Replace chicken with goat, fish, keema meat, prawn, egg or vegetables for other flavors of Mughlai biryani
Nutrition
Enjoy the recipe and let us know your feedback in the comment section below !
Ajay riya
Very easy to cook
Sangeetha Vel
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for your feedback. Glad to know this post helped you 🙂 .