Pressure Cooker Chicken Briyani

Briyani is a luxurious treat given to us by Mughals. Iam a great briyani lover!! Not only me, I think most of us would love briyani. “Briyani is not just a word, it’s an emotion”- I stand by these lines.

When it comes to chicken briyani, it makes us forget most of our differences. Dum briyani is the traditional way of making which is prepared by layering rice and chicken gravy. Check my page, if you want to know about the dum briyani method.

Though dum briyani is very tasty, there is another easy and quick way of making briyani in pressure cooker which yields the same taste but with less effort and time. The recipe I have shared today will satisfy your taste buds for sure and you will not feel heavy after eating. So definitely, you will end up eating more.

Marinating the chicken in yogurt and sauting the onions in oil/ghee till it turns like fried onions are the key in making this briyani tasty.  After this, it is the normal method. When it comes to yogurt, it shouldn’t be sour. If using curd, use fresh curd which is not sour.

Marinating the chicken in yogurt for 2 hours gives good results. But most of the times, I used to marinate chicken in yogurt when I start cutting onions and it tastes so good. I do this whenever I get craving to eat briyani and when I have sudden guests at home. My guests used to name it as “thideer (sudden) briyani”.

I think this is the much awaited recipe asked by many and here it is❤

INGREDIENTS

TO MARINATE:

  • Chicken- 750 gms.
  • Yogurt- 400 gms. ( should not be sour)
  • Red chilli powder with coriander powder mix- 1 tbsp
  • Briyani powder- 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1/4th tsp
  • Fennel seeds- 1 tbsp ( powder 1 tbsp of fennel seeds)
  • Salt- as needed.

RICE:

  • Basmati rice- 600 gms. ( clean it well and soak it in water for 30 minutes)

TO MAKE GRAVY:

  • Onion- 4, big sized ( or 5 medium sized chopped finely lengthwise)
  • Green chilli- 9 to 10 ( slit lengthwise)
  • Ginger garlic paste- 1 and a half tbsp
  • Mint leaves- 1 bunch
  • Coriander leaves- half bunch
  • Bay leaf- 1, big
  • Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
  • Cloves- 5 to 6
  • Cardamom- 3
  • Star aniseed- 1
  • Peppercorns- 5
  • Water- 1:1 ratio of rice:water. Use the same cup used to measure rice to measure the quantity of water.

TO GARNISH:

  • Fried onions- as needed
  • Mint leaves- 10 leaves
  • Coriander leaves- 2 to 3 tbsp.

PROCEDURE

Clean the chicken well.

Marinate the chicken with all the spices mentioned in “to marinate” for 2 hours. Marinating for 2 hours gives good results.
Chicken pieces should be sinked in yogurt. This is the quantity for yogurt. Note that yogurt should not be sour.
Clean the rice well and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom seeds, star aniseed, peppercorns.
Add the green chillies now. Leave it for 30 seconds in medium flame.
Add the onions now.
Once the onions turn little soft, add the needed salt. This helps to cook the onions fast. Another way is to cover it with a lid and stirring it often inbetween helps the color of onion to turn fast.
Once the onions turn golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste.
Saute till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away.
Once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away and the onions turn some more brown, add the mint leaves. Saute till the mint leaves turn dark and the onions turn like fried onion color.
This consistency should be attained for good taste– onions turn like fried onions and mint leaves turn dark.
Now add the chopped tomato.
Once the tomatoes turn soft, add the marinated chicken.
Mix everything together.
Add the needed water to cook the rice. It should be in 1:1 ratio of rice:water. Use the same cup used to measure rice to measure the quantity of water. Check for the salt now.
Add the finely chopped coriander leaves on top.
Drain the water from rice completely and add the rice to the pressure cooker.
Let the water come to boil.
Once the water comes to boil, cover it with a lid and add whistle on top. Cook it in low to medium flame till you get one whistle. Once after one whistle, move the pressure cooker from flame and let the pressure release itself.
See the rice is cooked well.
Now add all the ingredients in “to garnish” on top. Cover it with a lid for 5 minutes. Do not switch on the stove now.

Ready.

TIPS

  • 1 tsp of shajeera can be added along with bay leaves, cinnamon stick etc..,
  • Yogurt used should not be sour. If using curd, use fresh curd which is not sour.
  • The main spice to the dish comes from green chillies used.
  • Sauting the onions in medium flame till it turns like fried onions is the key.