Lucknowi biryani or Awadhi chicken biryani is a special and traditional method of biryani making from the capital city Lucknow which is often made in shahi style using chicken or mutton. Lucknow is always known for its delicious and amazing shahi delicacies which are always mouth-watering and finger-licking.
About the recipe
This awadhi chicken biryani almost similar to making pakki yakhni biryani but the only difference is in adding various spices and this biryani uses different whole spices such as nutmeg, mace powder which are commonly known as jaiphal and javitri.
The flavors are just mind blowing and taste very light despite adding many dry spices to it.
The procedure to make this biryani is in three steps. The first step is to cook the chicken into a gravy by adding spices and other ingredients such as onions and yogurt and the second step is to cook the rice. The third step is to making a layer of the rice and chicken and then garnishing it with color, onions, saffron etc...
This layered biryani is placed on dum for about 20-25 minutes on low heat before serving.
Today I would like to share a very delicious and different style of making chicken biryani in lucknowi style.
I have posted many rice recipes and many biryani recipes on the blog including chicken, vegetarian or mutton and some of the special rice delicacies include mutton biryani recipe, chicken biryani recipe, egg biryani
Difference between Hyderabadi Biryani and Lucknowi Biryani?
In the hyderabadi style, the chicken or mutton is marinated in various spices and herbs and then half cooked rice is placed over the marinade and the pot is placed on dum for at least 45 minutes.
This way of cooking lets the chicken or mutton and rice to cook perfectly and is often called as dum biryani or kachchi yakhni biryani.
I have shared few hyderabadi biryani recipes on the blog with chicken such as chicken biryani recipe, with veg such as hyderabadi veg biryani.
In Lucknowi style, the chicken or the mutton is first cooked and rice too is half cooked and then the curry and the rice is spread by layering them together and cooking or giving dum for some time which gives a delicious and appealing outcome.
The flavor of this biryani is quite light and not loaded with spices and has got mild flavors and exceptional taste just by adding few basic spices and herbs. It is not too spicy and appears orange in color due to the orange color added while dum.
In Lucknow, spices such as nutmeg and mace are essential and saffron is also the main ingredient and lucknowi biryani is incomplete without these ingredients.
Additional ingredients that are added which makes the chicken curry special are milk, kewra water which gives an amazing aroma to the recipe.
Overall, both methods taste good and give amazing results and below I would be sharing step by step details on how to make this biryani which is unique and delicious.
Accompaniments made for biryani recipes
Any biryani made always taste good with either or baingan masala , mirchi ka salan or gutti vankaya curry.
These gravy recipes are the best side dishes to be served with main course rice recipes mainly pulao recipes or biryani recipes.
Tips to be followed while making rice
- Always use a flat bottom vessel or pot that is heavy to avoid burning of biryani at the base.
- Always homemade biryani should have a tawa/griddle below the cooking pot while placing it on dum to avoid burning at the base.
- Homemade vessels always burn the masala at the base and therefore, it is essential to use heavy bottom cooking pots.
- While cooking or giving dum never let the steam escape out and never give dum on high flame.
- High flame cooking should be done here in this particular recipe for not more than 10 minutes and then the flame should be turned low.
- Giving dum on low heat lets the biryani cook perfectly without burning the rice placed at the bottom.
- Do not overcook the rice while cooking rice and cook only for about 12 minutes approximately.
- If using basmati rice soaking it is very essential to allow the grain to appear long.
Step by step procedure and photos
To cook the chicken gravy:
- Take a cooking pot, add oil, heat it and add sliced onions.
- fry them until they turn golden color.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes on low flame.
- Add the chicken pieces and roast until the color of chicken changes.
- Add salt as per taste, red chili powder, garam masala powder, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms, a small piece of nutmeg, mace powder, kali mirch powder.
- Add kashmiri red chili powder, cardamom powder and mix well.
- Cook these masalas until oil starts leaving the sides.
- Add yogurt and mix well.
- Cook the gravy for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.
- Add kewra water, milk, ghee and give a mix.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
- The gravy is ready and keep it aside.
To cook the rice:
- Take a cooking pot, add water into it. Add salt as per taste, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies.
- Add oil into it. Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms, shahi zeera.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add soaked basmati rice into it.
- Give a stir and cook the rice until it is 80 % done. Switch off the flame and strain the rice.
Layering and Giving dum:
- Take an empty cooking pot to give dum. Add a layer of rice at the base.
- Over it add a layer of chicken curry.
- Make layers of remaining rice and chicken curry.
- Garnish with fried onions, spread saffron soaked in milk, orange food color mixed in water or milk.
- Place a tawa or griddle below the cook pot. Close the lid tightly. Dum on high heat for 5 minutes.
- Dum on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until steam appears on the top and until rice is completely done.
- Switch off the flame and serve Lucknowi biryani hot.
- Serve with mirchi ka salan or baigan masala or raita.
Video
Recipe
lucknowi biryani recipe, lucknowi chicken biryani
Ingredients
To cook the chicken:
- 5 tbsp oil
- 5 medium size onions, finely sliced
- 600 gms chicken, cleaned and washed well
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 cloves (loung)
- a small nutmeg piece (jaiphal)
- 2 cardamoms elaichi
- ¼ tsp mace powder (javitri powder)
- ¼ tsp kali mirch powder (black pepper powder)
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
- ¾ cup yogurt/curd (dahi)
- 1 tsp kewra water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp ghee
To cook the rice:
- water to boil
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 3 mint leaves
- 3 slit green chilies
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 bay leaves/tej patta
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- ¼ tsp shahi zeera
- 600 gms basmati rice (soak for 30-35 minutes)
Other main ingredients to give dum:
- 1 tbsp fried onions
- 4 saffron strand (soaked in 2 tbsp milk)
- ¼ tsp orange food color (mixed in milk/water)
Instructions
To cook the chicken gravy:
- Take a cooking pot, add oil and heat it.
- Add sliced onions and fry them until they turn golden color.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes on low flame.
- Add the chicken pieces and roast until the color of chicken changes.
- Add salt as per taste, red chili powder, garam masala powder, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms, a small piece of nutmeg, mace powder, kali mirch powder.
- Add kashmiri red chili powder, cardamom powder and mix well.
- Cook these masalas until oil starts leaving the sides.
- Add yogurt and mix well.
- Cook the gravy for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.
- Add kewra water, milk, ghee and give a mix.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
- The gravy is ready and keep it aside.
To cook the rice:
- Take a cooking pot, add water into it.
- Add salt as per taste, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies.
- Add oil into it.
- Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms, shahi zeera.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add soaked basmati rice into it.
- Give a stir and cook the rice until it is 80 % done.
- Switch off the flame and strain the rice.
- Take an empty cooking pot to give dum.
- Add a layer of rice at the base.
- Over it add a layer of chicken curry.
- Make layers of rice and chicken curry.
- Garnish with fried onions, spread saffron soaked in milk, orange food color mixed in water or milk.
- Close the lid tightly.
- Place a tawa or griddle below the cook pot.
- Dum on high heat for 5 minutes.
- Dum on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until steam appears on the top and until rice is completely done.
- Switch off the flame and serve hot.
- Serve with mirchi ka salan or baigan masala or raita.
Notes
- Always place a tawa below the pot while giving dum as the rice tends to burn at the base if there is no griddle or pan placed at the bottom.
- Always check the salt in the chicken gravy and also check for the taste of salt in the water that is boiling to get the perfect biryani flavors.
Nutrition
FAQ'S
I have added nutmeg, mace commonly called jaiphal and javitri which are usually used to make traditional Awadhi chicken biryani/Lucknow chicken biryani but they can be avoided if not preferred or do not have all the spices mentioned.
Yes, since this is similar to the authentic style of biryani making in Awadhi style, I have used them but ingredients such as edible attar, kewra water can be given a miss. Rosewater too is used during seasoning but I have not used it in the recipe and can be added if it is available while making.
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