- 1
Start the recipe of butter chicken biryani by marinating 1 kg of boneless chicken with 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon tandoori masala, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ cup hung curd, a dash of red chili powder, salt to taste, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- 2
Massage those spices in like you mean it and let the chicken soak in the flavors for 3–4 hours.
- 3
Heat a bit of butter in a pan and sear the marinated chicken pieces for about 5 minutes—just enough to seal in the juices.
- 4
For that smoky restaurant vibe, place a piece of burning coal in a bowl, tuck it between the chicken, cover it, and let the smokiness do its magic.
- 5
Meanwhile, prepare the gravy by saut ing finely chopped onions in oil until golden, then blend them with 1/2 cup cashews and tomatoes into a velvety paste.
- 6
In the same pan, heat more oil and add whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns.
- 7
Let them sizzle before stirring in a dollop of ginger-garlic paste, followed by the cashew-onion mixture.
- 8
Season it up with salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, and a pinch of sugar.
- 9
Cook until the oil separates, then add a splash of curd, some milk, and cream to make it irresistibly rich.
- 10
Finally, stir in the smoky chicken and simmer until tender and juicy.
- 11
For the biryani, soak 3 cups of basmati rice, boil it with whole spices, and cook until ¾ done.
- 12
Layer the cooked rice over the butter chicken gravy, sprinkle fried onions, roasted cashews, fresh coriander, and a drizzle of ghee.
- 13
Cover and steam on low heat for 20 minutes, letting those layers blend into a symphony of flavors.
- 14
Serve this Butter Chicken Biryani hot with raita, and watch it disappear in record time!