Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Madhyapradesh · Dinner

Saoji Chicken Biryani (Nagpur-Style Meat Rice with Warming Spices)

Traditional 5. Saoji Chicken Biryani recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 600g chicken (thighs preferred), cut into 3cm pieces
• 200ml curd (yogurt)
• 15ml ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilis, minced
• 5ml turmeric powder
• 10ml red chili powder
• 10ml coriander powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 10ml lemon juice
• 15ml oil
• 1ml salt
• 20ml ghee
• 10ml oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 8 cloves
• 8 black peppercorns
• 300g onion, thinly sliced
• 200g tomatoes, chopped
• 10ml Saoji masala (kala masala) — see below
• 500ml water
• 300g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
• 1 pinch saffron, soaked in 30ml warm milk
• Salt to taste
• 5 dried red chilis
• 1 black cardamom
• 1cm cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 5ml coriander seeds
• 5ml cumin seeds
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2.5ml fennel seeds

👩‍🍳 How to make Saoji Chicken Biryani

1. Dry roast all together 1 minute, cool, grind to fine powder.
2. Mix curd, ginger-garlic paste, green chilis, turmeric, chili powder, coriander, asafoetida, lemon juice, oil, salt
3. Add chicken; coat thoroughly
4. Marinate minimum 30 minutes
5. Heat 20ml ghee + 10ml oil to 70°C in heavy-bottomed pot with tight lid
6. Add bay leaves, cardamom (green and black), cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns; crackle 10 seconds
7. Add sliced onions in batches; fry 10 minutes until golden brown
8. Reserve half for garnish
9. Add chopped tomatoes to remaining onions; cook 2 minutes
10. Add Saoji masala powder; stir 1 minute
11. Add marinated chicken; stir to coat, cook 3 minutes
12. Add 500ml water and salt; bring to boil (high heat, 2 minutes)
13. Simmer 15 minutes on low heat until chicken is half-cooked
14. Spread rice evenly over chicken
15. Pour saffron milk over rice
16. Cover pot with foil, then place lid on top (dum pukht method)
17. Cook on high heat 2 minutes (steam builds), then reduce to low heat
18. Cook 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed
19. Turn off heat, rest covered 5 minutes
20. Open carefully, fluff rice gently with fork
21. ---

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