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How to cook Nasi briyani

Nasi briyani is a fragrant layered rice dish where par-cooked basmati rice is steamed over spiced, tender meat gravy until every grain carries the aroma of whole spices, ghee and herbs. In Singapore it is typically served with a side of dhal or curry gravy, achar and a fried egg or papadum.

Ingredients

For marinating the chicken

• 800 g bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, cut into large pieces
• 150 g plain unsweetened yoghurt
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (blend equal parts ginger and garlic)
• 1 tbsp briyani or meat curry powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice

For the masala gravy

• 3 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cinnamon sticks (about 5 cm each)
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 5 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large red onions, thinly sliced (about 350 g)
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 300 g)
• 1 large potato, peeled and quartered (optional but traditional)
• 1 cup chopped coriander leaves and stems
• 1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt, to taste
• 200 ml water

For the rice

• 400 g long-grain basmati rice
• 2.5 litres water for boiling the rice
• 2 tbsp salt for the boiling water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp oil

For layering and finishing

• 1/2 tsp saffron threads, or 1/4 tsp food-grade yellow colouring (optional)
• 3 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tbsp ghee, melted
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced for frying (about 250 g)
• 150 ml oil for deep-frying the onions
• 1/2 cup chopped mint and coriander leaves, for layering
• 3 tbsp raisins and cashew nuts, fried in ghee (optional)

For serving

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved (or fried eggs)
• 1 small bowl dhal curry or curry gravy
• 1 small bowl achar (pickled vegetables)
• to taste cucumber and tomato slices
• 4 papadums, fried

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken1 hr
   Combine the chicken with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and lime juice. Mix well and rub into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for deeper flavour.
2. Soak the rice30 min
   Rinse the basmati rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Cover with fresh water and soak for 30 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
3. Prepare the saffron milk15 min
   Crush the saffron lightly between your fingers and steep it in the warm milk for 15 to 20 minutes until the milk turns deep golden. If using yellow colouring instead, stir it into the milk until fully dissolved.
4. Fry the onions for garnish15 min
   Heat 150 ml oil in a small deep pan over medium heat. Fry the 250 g sliced onions, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper; they will crisp further as they cool. Reserve 2 tbsp of the flavoured oil for the gravy.
5. Start the masala base12 min
   In a large heavy-based pot, heat the ghee with the 2 tbsp cooking oil and the reserved onion oil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and bay leaves and fry for 30 to 40 seconds until fragrant. Add the 350 g sliced onions and cook, stirring, for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and golden.
6. Build the gravy8 min
   Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell is gone. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of the salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, mashing them down, until the oil separates from the masala at the edges.
7. Cook the chicken in the gravy30 min
   Add the marinated chicken and potato quarters, and half of the chopped coriander and mint. Sear and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then pour in 200 ml water, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. The gravy should be thick and clinging, not watery, the potato should be just tender, and the chicken should be cooked through. Turn off the heat.
8. Par-boil the rice7 min
   Bring 2.5 litres of water to a rolling boil in a large pot with the 2 tbsp salt, whole spices, bay leaf and 1 tbsp oil. Add the drained rice and boil over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Test a grain: it should be about 70 percent cooked, soft on the outside but with a firm white core when bitten. Drain immediately.
9. Layer the briyani5 min
   Spread half of the par-cooked rice over the chicken gravy in the pot. Scatter over half the fried onions, the remaining chopped mint and coriander, and the fried raisins and cashews if using. Top with the rest of the rice, then drizzle over the saffron milk in streaks, the melted ghee and the remaining fried onions.
10. Dum steam the rice25 min
    Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid; for a better seal, lay a clean kitchen towel under the lid or seal the rim with a strip of dough. Cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes, placing the pot on a flat tawa or heavy pan if the base scorches easily. Do not lift the lid during this time.
11. Rest and fluff10 min
    Turn off the heat and rest the covered pot for 10 minutes. Open the lid, gently fold from the bottom with a flat spoon so the gravy, meat and rice mix without breaking the grains. The rice should be fluffy, separate and evenly coloured.
12. Prepare the sides10 min
    While the briyani rests, halve the hard-boiled eggs (or fry them sunny-side up), warm the dhal or curry gravy, fry the papadums in hot oil for a few seconds until puffed and pale golden, and slice the cucumber and tomato.
13. Serve
    Pile the briyani onto plates with a piece of chicken and a potato quarter on each. Serve hot with egg, dhal or curry gravy, achar, cucumber and tomato slices and a papadum.

Tips

• Use bone-in chicken pieces for richer gravy; boneless meat dries out more easily during the dum steaming stage.
• Stop boiling the rice while the core is still firm. The rice finishes cooking in the steam from the gravy, and over-boiled rice turns mushy in the pot.
• Keep the masala gravy on the thick side. Too much liquid will make the rice soggy at the bottom layer.
• A heavy-based pot or a flat tawa underneath prevents the bottom layer from scorching during the final steaming.
• Briyani tastes even better after the 10-minute rest, as the flavours settle and the rice firms up.

Food safety and allergens

Check that the chicken is fully cooked before layering: the juices should run clear and there should be no pink near the bone. Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour and eat within 2 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through; do not leave rice at room temperature for long.

Contains: dairy, tree nuts

Watch it being made

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• Nasi Biryani Ayam Pakistan | Pakistani Chicken BiryaniKhan's Cooking Channel · 4,960,508 views · YouTube

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