Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani is the medley of slowly cooked chicken with varieties of spices and fragrant basmati rice. Presence of fried well-seasoned potato halves and hard-boiled eggs make the Kolkata style Chicken Biryani extraordinary.
Chicken Biryani is always on top list of my family menu. It's a
hot favorite dish and anytime hit in my family. We love all types of chicken biryani including Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani, Andhra style biryani,
Chettinad biryani and many more. However, our favorite is Kolkata style Chicken Biryani because of the mild flavor of spices, slow cooked succulent chicken pieces, richness of desi ghee and of course the presence of well seasoned potatoes.
I remember my Kolkata days when we did not eat out often. However, once in a while we enjoyed the best biryanis in town served by few famous restaurants like Aminia, Shiraz, Arsalan to name a few. I am sharing the best Kolkata chicken biryani recipe which I have learned over the period of time. Needless to say my family enjoys it very much. Before going to the recipe of Kolkata chicken biryani, I will share little more information about biryani and the history of Kolkata style chicken biryani.
What is Biryani?
Biryani is an Indian dish of rice which is blended with meat, fish or vegetables and flavored with varieties of spices and saffron. While I was browsing, I came to know that Biryani was originated at Persia and was brought in India by Mughal Emperors.
What is the difference between Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani and Kolkata style Chicken Biryani?
Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is spicy and pungent in nature. It has own distinct flavor and of spices. As I came to know, Kolkata style Chicken Biryani is thought to be evolved from Awadhi (Lucknowi) style biryani. It has mild flavor of spices, moist with the richness of desi ghee and sweet aroma of meetha attar. Also, as I said earlier Kolkata style Chicken Biryani contains big chunk of potatoes and boiled eggs.
What is the difference between Awadhi style Chicken Biryani and Kolkata style Chicken Biryani?
Awadhi style biryani is also known as Lucknowi style biryani. Awadhi style chicken biryani is less spicy. Here meat and rice is cooked together and biryani has more flavor of meat than the spices. The quantity of meat used in lucknowi biryani is more compared to other biryanis.
I have read that Kolkata biryani has evolved from the Awadhi biryani. The last Nawab of Awadh (Wajid Ali Shah) was exiled to Kolkata after dethroned by British. At that point of time Nawab could not afford meat in large scale. Hence his personal chef started adding more potatoes and eggs compared to meat. Interestingly, I found this piece of article about various different types of biryani. Read here.
What is special in Kolkata style Chicken biryani?
Addition of boiled egg, potato and few spices make this dish really special. Both in chicken and mutton biryani, addition of egg and super soft potatoes are must. The rice is not spicy and not sweet too. But the right balance of spice laced with proportionate amount of ghee makes it aromatic and tasty. Kids can also enjoy this Kolkata style Chicken Biryani.
Can I use store bought Biryani Masala instead of making it at home?
Of course you can use store bought Biryani masala. However, make sure the quality of masala you are using in the biryani. As it will make lot of difference in the taste of biryani. However, I would always suggest to use homemade masala using good quality ingredients. You can make the masala in large quantity and store it in an airtight container.
How long I have to marinate the chicken?
Marination is the key for this recipe. I would suggest to marinate the chicken pieces for 4 to 5 hours. If you have no time for marination then also I would suggest you to marinate chicken pieces for an hour. Add little bit of lemon juice when you are marinating only for an hour.
What is the quickest way to cook Kolkata style Chicken Biryani?
I know it's in many people's mind how to cook biryani quickly. The process of cooking biryani is little longer. However, if you plan ahead, it is possible to cook biryani even in a week day morning for lunch. Recently, I cooked Kolkata style Chicken Biryani in a week day. I have marinated the chicken pieces previous night and kept in refrigerator. I had already prepared Biryani Masala and used this time. Also, I had cut potatoes and onion previous night. So it took only 1 and half hour to cook this delicious dish.
Kolkata style Chicken Biryani
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Pan
Materials
Biryani Spices or Biryani Masala
- 8 nos Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 4 nos Green Cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon Caraway Seeds or Shah Jeera
- 8 nos Whole Black Peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg or Jaiphal, grated or powder
- 3 petals Mace or Javitri
- 3-4 no Cubeb or Kabab Chini
- 1 no Black Cardamom
- 1 no Bay Leaf
For Cooking Biryani Rice
- 2 cups Long grain rice (Basmati rice)
- 2 nos Green Cardamom
- 4 nos Cloves
- 4 nos Whole Black Peppercorn
- 1-2 no Star Anise
- 1 petal Mace
- 3-4 nos Cubeb
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- ½ inch Cinnamon
For Marinating Chicken
- 500 gms Chicken (Preferably Bone pieces, Leg and Thigh pieces)
- ½ cup Thick Yogurt
- 2 -3 teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 1½ teaspoon Garlic Paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ⅓ teaspoon Turmeric Powder (optional)
- 1½ teaspoon Biryani Masala Powder
- 2 teaspoon Refined Oil
Other Ingredients
- 1 large Onion, Sliced
- 2 cups Onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 medium Potato, cut into halves
- 3 nos Boiled Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ cup Warm Milk
- a pinch Saffron
- ½ cup Refined Oil
- ¼ cup Clarified Butter or Ghee
- few drops Food Color (Saffron) optional
- few drops Meetha Attar (a special fragrance for Mughlai cuisine)
- few drops Kewra Water
Instructions
Biryani Spices or Biryani Masala
- Take a pan and dry roast the ingredients given for making Biryani masala for few minutes.
- Allow them to cool and grind them in a blender to make the spice mixture, Biryani Masala Powder.
Marinating Chicken Pieces
- Wash and clean the chicken pieces. Drain the water well, if required pat them using kitchen towel paper.
- Now take the chicken pieces in a bowl and add all the ingredients given under marinating chicken section.
- After marinating the chicken pieces properly, keep it aside for 4-5 hours preferably. If not at least for an hour.
Cooking Rice for Biryani
- Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.
- Later drain the water and cook the the rice (adding water) along with the whole spices given under the tab 'For Cooking Biryani Rice'.
- When the rice is cooked 75 to 80% , then drain the water.
- Spread the rice in plates to cool down.
- Sprinkle little salt all over the rice.
Cooking Chicken for Biryani
- Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions.
- Add little salt and sugar into it and fry till they are brown and crisp.
- Now take them out from the oil and keep them on an absorbent paper.
- In the remaining oil, add potatoes and cook them with little bit of salt and turmeric powder.
- Take them out and keep aside.
- Now add ghee in the same pan and add the finely chopped onions.
- Once they are translucent add marinated chicken pieces.
- Add coriander powder and salt and cook the chicken pieces.
- Cover it with a lid and cook in high flame first 3 to 5 minutes.
- Later reduce the flame and slow cook the chicken pieces by covering with lid and in between stirring.
- Once the chicken pieces are cooked, keep them aside.
Assembling of Biryani
- Soak Saffron in warm milk for 10 minutes. The milk will turn light yellow color. You can also add few drops of food color in the milk.
- Take large pot and grease it with ghee.
- Now add place one third of the cooked chicken in the bottom and then spread a layer of rice, fried onions (beresta), few potato halves and boiled egg.
- Add little saffron milk in this layer.
- On top of this layer, add similar layer by adding cooked chicken, fried onions, rice, potatoes, boiled egg and saffron milk.
- Finally on the top layer add kewra water and meetha attar.
- Now close the lid of the pot with a lid and seal the edges with wheat flour dough.
- Cook on high flame for 2 mins. Remove the pot from the stove.
- Now place an iron skillet on gas stove and keep the biryani pot on it.
- Keep the gas on low flame and allow to heat it for 10 minutes or so.
- Turn off the heat and give a standing time of 10 minutes.
- Next unseal the edges and serve hot kolkata style chicken biryani with raita.
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Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth
There are some ingredients that I am really not aware of, but looking at your biriyani - yes, so complete with potatoes and eggs - it looks worth the effort! Beautiful dish...
motionsandemotions
Thank you dear..
Balvinder
Just the word biryani bring a smile to my face.Very nicely done, Amrita! One of these days I am going to try with eggs and potatoes.
Angie's Recipes
A simple and very tasty rice dish!
Treat and Trick
Yummy! I want..
Smith
GOOD POST
Anu Yalo
Very nice!!
tastentips
Rich & delicious biryani.........
puneetjabbal
Wow what a flavourful biryani, Amrita. Looks so tasty.
CURRY AND SPICE
What a lovely Biryani... just the Kolkata way...
Unknown
Amazing biryani recipe...a must try:) I'm always looking for new ways to try this classic...
Unknown
Very informative post you have shared about restaurants
restaurants in kolkata
Shobha
Biriyani is an irresistible dish.. just had it last night..
Unknown
Biryani looks wonderful... Makes me hungry... I'm a new blogger... Do visit my blog.. kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/
Sumee
Thanks for linking up Amrita.. I never knew Kolkatta style... It's amazing to learn diff variety of it. Btw, be careful about the anyms comments like above many are hacked.
Motions and Emotions
Thank you all for your lovely comments..
Priya Anandakumar
Yummy and delicious biryani, I am a gr8 fan of biryani. Yours looks fab...
Unknown
Looks superb!! I love chicken biryani!! 🙂
rita-bose-cooking.com/
Unknown
Looks superb!! I love chicken biryani!! 🙂
rita-bose-cooking.com/
Chitz
Lovely.. New variety of chicken biriyani 🙂
And pls see this post for more details & the questions u have to answer for the Liebster award.. Since I had already posted it once, did not repeat on my second post...
Sanoli Ghosh
OMG! Droolworthy chicken biryani. Fingerlicking good biryani you made Amrita. Please pass the plate to me...:)
today's post:
sanolisrecipies.blogspot.in/2013/04/egg-chowmein.html
meena
wish i could have it now,looks so yum..