Bombay Biryani

by Shaheen Ali

Biryani is something i simply can’t get over it. This is the only dish which i can relish daily. After having tried Awadhi Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Kerela Biryani it was now turn to lay my hands on Bombay Biryani. I had this during my stay in Mumbai somewhere near Lokhandwala. The taste was little mild as compared to North India’s Dum biryani. Luckily i had a packet of ready made Bombay Biryani masala which i had received a few days back from one of my good friend Anisa Arif also the owner of Zaika. Apart from whole spices i did not use anything much other than Zaika Bombay Biryani Masala.


Sunday we usually travel to my mom’s place and this time i wanted to treat her with Bombay Biryani. So as i had to get up erly in the morning and start my preparations, i opted for chicken instead of mutton which comparatively requires more time to cook. Long grain rice gives a brilliant look and texture to any pulao or biryani but here i chose to go with simple basmati rice. Best was the moment when my mom complimented me for its excellent taste and texture. I teamed up with some Kachumber salad and Burani raita as it is good for digestion too.

Print Recipe
BOMBAY BIRYANI
Course main course
Cuisine maharashtrian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 60 minutes
Servings
helping
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 kg Chicken - ( medium pieces)
  • 1 kg Basmati rice
  • 4 Onion - large (finely sliced)
  • 3 tbsp Garlic - (minced)
  • 3 - 4 tbsp Ginger - (minced)
  • 5 tbsp butter ghee Clarified /
  • 8 Green chilli (slitted)
  • 1 cup curd Thick
  • 5 tbsp masala Zaika Bombay Biryani
  • garam masala ~ ~ ~Whole ~ ~ ~
  • 4 / Bay leaftej patta
  • 3 / Green cardamomelaichi
  • 4 / elaichi Black cardamombadi
  • 1 tsp Black pepper mirch / kali
  • 1 tsp Cloves / laung
  • 1 / Cinnamondalchini - 1/2 stick
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 2 tsps Caraway seeds jeera / shah
  • 1/2 / NutmegJay phal - crushed
  • 1 tsp Mace / Javitri
  • 3/4 cup coconut Fresh - (grated)
  • Oil
For garnishing :
Course main course
Cuisine maharashtrian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 60 minutes
Servings
helping
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 kg Chicken - ( medium pieces)
  • 1 kg Basmati rice
  • 4 Onion - large (finely sliced)
  • 3 tbsp Garlic - (minced)
  • 3 - 4 tbsp Ginger - (minced)
  • 5 tbsp butter ghee Clarified /
  • 8 Green chilli (slitted)
  • 1 cup curd Thick
  • 5 tbsp masala Zaika Bombay Biryani
  • garam masala ~ ~ ~Whole ~ ~ ~
  • 4 / Bay leaftej patta
  • 3 / Green cardamomelaichi
  • 4 / elaichi Black cardamombadi
  • 1 tsp Black pepper mirch / kali
  • 1 tsp Cloves / laung
  • 1 / Cinnamondalchini - 1/2 stick
  • 2 Star Anise
  • 2 tsps Caraway seeds jeera / shah
  • 1/2 / NutmegJay phal - crushed
  • 1 tsp Mace / Javitri
  • 3/4 cup coconut Fresh - (grated)
  • Oil
For garnishing :
Instructions
  1. Wash chicken pieces well and keep aside. Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 1 hour. Soak saffron in 2 tbsp milk and keep aside.
  2. Heat ghee in a big kadhai and add all the mentioned spices under ~ ~ ~ whole garam masala ~ ~ ~.
  3. As soon as the spices starts to splutter, add minced ginger and garlic with green chillies.
  4. Fry the ginger garlic till golden in color and now add sliced onions and mix all together. Fry till the onions get soggy and translucent. Also add some freshly torn mint leaves while frying the onions to give a minty flavor.
  5. Once the onions turn soft and mushy and the raw smell has disappeared add fresh grated coconut and mix well. Stir all together for few mins.
  6. As i have used ready made Bombay Biryani masala from ZAIQA, add Zaiqa masala and thick curd now and mix nicely. U may adjust the oil if u find the masala sticking to the vessel. Keep adjusting the flames too. Never leave the masala to fry on high flame as it may get burnt. Lemme show you the Zaiqa masala packet too ...
  7. Now as soon as u find the curd leaving water, chicken pieces into it and mix them all carefully so that tha masala gets coated all over the chicken pieces. Simmer the gas and let the whole chicken and masala fry together till the oil starts leaving the sides of the vessel and the masala turns thick and dark brown in color. Adjust salt as per your requirement.
  8. [P.S- Do not add water, because the curd will leave water and the chicken will get cooked in it.]
  9. The thick brown chicken masala that is getting ready is known as akhni. Curd is the key ingredient in making akhni as it kills the raw smell of the chicken and makes it taste wonderful.
  10. Now as the akhni is cooking let us proceed to make rice. In a separate large thaick bottomed vessel/ bhagona/ degchi boil double the quantity of water with some salt, lemon juice and few drops of oil. Once the water starts boiling add clean, washed and soaked rice and allow it to boil in high flame.
  11. Be careful while cooking rice as we want half cooked rice only. So keep checking the rice grains and as soon as they are half cooked, turn off the gas, drain the water, strain the rice and spread it on a big plastic table mat. We are spreading the rice on a plastic mat so that they don't stick to each other.
Assembling and Dum :
  1. Now in another thick bottomed big bhagona/ degchi we will start the assembling of the biryani to keep it on dum. Firstly spread some curd all over the base of the bhagona (this prevent akhni to stick and get burnt in the bottom).
  2. Now spread the chicken akhni all over the curd in the base evenly. Sprinkle some mint leaves and coriander.
  3. Now place the rice all over the bed of chicken akhni.
  4. Now pour ghee and kewda water all above the bed of rice.
  5. Sprinkle finely chopped coriander, mint and slit chillies.
  6. Add the fried onions and fried cashew nuts. Sprinkle saffron soaked milk in center and the sides.
  7. For Dum place an iron tawa on the gas stove. Now place the assembled degchi/ bhagona on it.
  8. Seal the bhagona either with alumimium foil as i did or u may even close the lid and seal it with wheat flour dough from the sides.
  9. Place a heavy weight on the lid so that the aroma stays inside.
  10. Cook the biryani on dum for 30-40 mins on low flame.Serve hot with Burani Raita (churned yoghurt with mint, coriander, garlic, coconut and green chilli paste) and Salad!
Recipe Notes

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2 comments

Linda March 16, 2018 - 2:40 pm

This looks incredible. I’m surprised no one has commented yet. Thinking of trying it out tonight for my man and his flatmate.
I live in France now and it gets slightly difficult to find the right masala packs. I have an MDH Bombay Biryani Masala and hope that will do.
The men are French and love biryani usually but this is slightly different from what I cook normally but hope they like it and it turns out like what you seem to have cooked!
Thank you! 🤗🤗

Reply
Shaheen Ali March 23, 2018 - 2:08 pm

Hi Linda, we are sorry for responding you back so late. Somehow the comment was spammed. Anyways now that we are here, we would love to hear your experience with MDH masala.Thanks!

Reply

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