23 Best Methods to Cook Vijayawada Chicken Biryani

1. Get the Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized onions, chopped/sliced
• 1/2 cup of oil to fry the onions (sunflower oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil)

• 2 lbs of Chicken on the bone cut into large parts (8-10 pieces)
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• Salt – to taste (approximately 1 tsp)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp Garam Masala powder
• 1 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup of fried brown onions
• 4 tbsp melted ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 10-15 mint leaves (no stalk)
• 2-4 green chilies (broken or cut)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 cups of basmati rice
• 8 cups of water
• 2 one inch pieces of cinnamon
• 5-6 whole peppercorns (to taste)
• 5 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 2 pieces of cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 piece of mace
• 1 tsp of ghee
• 1/2 tsp of salt

• 2 cups of wholemeal chapati flour
• 1 cup of water

• 1/4 tsp saffron
• 2 tbsp milk

• 5-7 tbsp of ghee clarified butter (to drizzle atop the biryani before pressure cooking)
• Handful of cashews (optional)
• Handful of golden raisins (optional)
• Rose water (optional)

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2. Heat the oil in the pan.

 Start with the stove heat on high to get the oil nice and hot, quickly. The onions should sizzle when you put them in the pan with the oil.

• Once you see oil evaporating a little bit, the oil is ready for the onions.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

3. Add your onions to the oil. 

It’s easier to fry onions in smaller portions, so for 2 sliced onions, you can try frying 3 batches or so

4. Reduce the flame to medium.

 Deep fry the onions on medium heat until they turn a golden brown. This should take about 10-20 minutes.

• While they are sizzling in the oil, gently mix the onions around to keep all of them coated, and to disperse the heat and oil evenly.
• If the flame is very high the onions will burn on the outside and remain watery on the inside.

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5. Take out the onions from the pan.

 Use a big, perforated spoon (a spoon with holes in it for drainage) to removes the onions from the pan once they are golden brown. You want a perforated spoon to drain out excess oil.

• Place the onions on a plate with a paper towel on it, to absorb the rest of the excess oil. Put the onions aside for later.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

6. Put the chicken in a bowl or pan. 

The bowl or pan needs to be big enough so there is enough room to mix the chicken in with the marinade, and have the marinade coat the chicken completely.

• Keep the chicken in big pieces, and on the bone. Keeping the chicken on the bone will create a stock once the chicken is being cooked, adding a nice, full flavour to the biryani.

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7. Add the spices and powders to the chicken.

8. Mix your ingredients.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

9. Refrigerate the chicken.

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10. Soak the rice.

11. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. 

This is the water you are going to cook the rice in. The water must be boiling before you add the rice.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

12. Add the rice. 

Along with the rice, add some other ingredients to give the rice a full flavor, and prevent the rice from sticking:

• 5 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 2 pieces of cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 piece of mace
• 1 tsp of ghee
• 1/2 tsp of salt

13. Stir the added ingredients. 

Stir the ingredients to make sure they are all mixed in, and then cover the rice boil it for 8-10 minutes or until the rice is cooked half to three quarters of the way. Once the rice is cooked half to three quarters, you can take out the whole ingredients you added earlier (cloves, cardamoms, etc.)

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14. Check the consistency of the rice. 

Since the rice should only be cooked half to a quarter of the way when you take it off the stove, the grains should be soft on the outside but still hard in the middle.

• This is because the rest of the rice gets cooked on dum (when you layer the chicken and rice, seal it with dough around the edges to lock in the steam, and put it on a very low flame).
• You can tell how cooked the rice is by taking a grain and pressing it with your fingers. The rice should break apart into pieces, but still have a hard texture to it. If it is soft and mushes in your fingers, you have cooked it too much.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

14. Turn off the heat. 

Turn off the heat once you rice is cooked half to three quarters of the way, and let it sit. The hot water will cook the rice a little bit more, without cooking it too much.

15. Prepare the saffron milk. 

Add 1/4 tsp saffron to 2 tbsp of warm milk and let it soak for approximately 15 minutes. This saffron mixture will go on top of the rice when you are preparing to cook the final part of the biryani and it will give a nice flavoring.

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16. Prepare the sealing dough. 

Place 2 cups of chapati flour in a bowl and add approximately 3/4 cup of lukewarm water. Stir until the mixture forms a soft dough.

• If the dough is dry and isn’t really mixing well, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
• Knead the dough by pushing on it with your knuckles and heels of your hands. Make sure your hands are damp with water while doing this so the dough doesn’t stick to your skin. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes to ensure it is fully mixed together.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

17. Place chicken into a thick bottom pot.

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18. Spread the rice.

19. Add the next layer of rice.

This is the second, and final layer of rice you will be adding to the biryani. Once the rest of the rest is spread evenly, add on the rest of the brown onions (approximately 1 tbsp), a little bit more coriander leaves (approximately 1/2 tbsp), mint leaves (3-5), the saffron milk mixture, and approximately 6 tbsp of ghee.

• An alternative and optional topping is adding some rose water. Just add about 1/2 a capful, and sprinkle it over the top of the biryani.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

20. Put the lid on the pot upside down. 

Roll the chapati dough into long pieces and put the dough on the edges of the pot’s upside down lid.  You add the chapati dough to the edges of the lid, so when you turn the lid right side up, the dough seals the pot so the chicken and rice can steam cook together.

• Press lightly but firmly to make sure the lid is secure and tight.
• You can add a weight to the lid to ensure that it stays sealed, but usually if you use the dough, it is sealed good enough.

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21. Cook the biryani.

 Keep the biryani cooking for about 5-10 on high flame. Then, take the pot off the flame, put a cooking plate on the flame, and place the pot back on the flame with the cooking plate.

• This is the safest method to cook the biryani and make sure the biryani doesn’t burn because of the direct contact with the heat.
• After about 35 switch off the flame, but don’t open the biryani yet. Let the biryani sit for another 10 minutes.

22. Carefully remove the pot’s top.

Vijayawada chicken biryani

23. Enjoy!