Elevate Your Cooking With This Kolkata Biryani Recipe

Prepare rice and marinated chicken separately. Fry potatoes and eggs, then make biryani masala from roasted whole spices. Layer the chicken, rice, potatoes, and eggs, garnished with saffron, kewra, and rose water. Dum-cook the biryani on low heat, and serve with raita or chutney.

Kolkata Biryani starts by boiling basmati rice with whole spices until it’s 70-80% cooked. Chicken is marinated in yogurt, mustard oil, and spices, then fried with onions. Potatoes are parboiled, fried, and eggs are lightly browned. The biryani masala is prepared by roasting and grinding whole spices. Layers of chicken, rice, fried potatoes, and eggs are created, garnished with saffron milk, kewra, and rose water. The dish is dum-cooked on low heat for 25-30 minutes, then served hot with raita or salad.

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

• 2 cups basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 4-5 green cardamoms
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• Salt to taste
• Water for boiling

For the Marinated Chicken:

• 500g chicken pieces (preferably with bones)
• ½ cup yogurt (dahi)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp mustard oil

For the Potatoes and Eggs:

• 2 large potatoes (peeled and cut in half)
• 2 boiled eggs
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil for frying

For the Biryani Masala:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 black cardamom
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 1-2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• ½ tsp nutmeg powder
• ½ tsp mace (javitri)

For the Biryani:

• 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp saffron (soaked in ¼ cup warm milk)
• 1 tbsp kewra water
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Rice:

• Boil water with bay leaves, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
• Add the soaked rice and cook until 70-80% done (it should still have a bite). Drain the rice and set it aside.

2. Marinate the Chicken:

• In a large bowl, mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, mustard oil, and salt.
• Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and coat well. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is better for deeper flavors).

3. Fry Potatoes and Eggs:

• Parboil the halved potatoes in water with salt and turmeric powder. Drain and pat them dry.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes until golden brown. In the same oil, lightly fry the boiled eggs until golden spots appear. Set aside.

4. Make Biryani Masala:

• Dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and mace.
• Grind them into a fine powder and mix in the nutmeg powder. Set the biryani masala aside.

5. Cook the Chicken:

• Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove half the fried onions for garnish.
• Add the marinated chicken to the remaining onions and cook on medium heat until the chicken is tender and the ghee separates (about 15-20 minutes). Add a little water if needed, but keep the gravy thick.

6. Layer the Biryani:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, start by spreading a layer of chicken with some gravy at the bottom.
• Add a layer of the partially cooked rice over the chicken.
• Place the fried potatoes and eggs over the rice. Sprinkle with the biryani masala, fried onions, saffron milk, kewra water, rose water, and sugar.

7. Dum Cooking:

• Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (or seal with dough) to trap the steam. Cook on low heat for about 25-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Alternatively, you can place a heavy pan under the pot to avoid direct heat.

8. Serve:

• Once the biryani is done, let it rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid. Gently fluff the rice with a fork.
• Serve hot with raita, salad, or Bengali tomato chutney.

Tips for Perfect Kolkata Biryani:

• Use good-quality basmati rice for a fragrant and fluffy biryani.
• Don’t overcook the rice while boiling; it should be slightly underdone so that it cooks perfectly during the dum process.
• The fried potatoes and eggs add a signature flavor and texture to Kolkata biryani, so don’t skip them.
• Use ghee for a rich and authentic taste.

Enjoy your homemade Kolkata Biryani with its distinct flavors of spices, tender chicken, and the special touch of potatoes and eggs.