Chicken Biryani – Karnataka Style Biryani Recipe

Last Updated on December 1, 2021 by Babita

Chicken Biryani is a classic Indian dish that combines spiced chicken curry layered with aromatic basmati rice, and caramelized onions. It is the most decadent and luxurious rice and chicken dish revered by people from the Indian subcontinent all over the world.

There are many different kinds of chicken recipes. Every state in India has their own version of chicken biryani. This recipe is for Karnataka Style Chicken Biryani which I have been making for years and is a huge success at our family get-together and events.

(This post contains some affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you chose to purchase through them).

About the Recipe

Karnataka is a Southern state in India where coconut and rice is used commonly in every meal, and that is what makes this biryani recipe different from recipes.

What is distinctive about Karnataka style chicken biryani is that the curry base is made of greens, including coriander leaves, mint and green chilies as the main ingredient. The color of Karnataka Chicken Biryani is also unique as it is more on the greener side as compared to other biryani.

Calories in Chicken Biryani

If you are worried about the calories in chicken biryani, then you should definitely not make this recipe. Chicken biryani is the most decadent of foods in the Indian subcontinent. Ghee is used generously in this recipe and it is one ingredient that should not be skimped on when making this biryani.

Explanation of Ingredients

There are several steps to making this chicken biryani. As a result each step has different ingredients. I have broken down this recipe in steps and you will see the ingredients and method to make them below. It is not a quick recipe. You need a lot of patience, passion and love to create this kind of biryani recipe.

Ingredients for Marinating Chicken

• 4 lbs of chicken chopped into medium to large pieces
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp salt

How to Marinate Chicken

• The first step is to marinate the chicken. The purpose of marinating the chicken is to remove the raw, lingering smell from the chicken. The yogurt in the marinade help soften the chicken pieces also.

Ingredients for Garam Masala

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 big piece of Indian cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp black pepper

Prepping Garam Masala for biryani

Add of the above ingredients in a frying pan. Lightly roast them for couple of seconds. Take it off heat and set aside.

Ingredients for Green Masala Curry

• 2 packed cups coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup of mint leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
• 8 to 10 green chilies
• 1 1/2″ chopped ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 cup water

How to Make Green Masala for the Biryani

Add all of the above ingredients plus the whole garam masala into a blender jar. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend it into a fine paste. Don’t worry about the number of green chilies. The curry will be spicy to eat by itself, but when layered with rice, the spice and heat will balance out.

The next step to making the biryani is to cook the chicken curry.

Additional Ingredients for Chicken Curry

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• salt as per taste
• 1 cup of water

Instructions for Cooking Chicken Curry

In a big stock pot, heat oil. Add onion and saute it until translucent. Add the chicken and saute it for few seconds. Add the green masala paste, salt and water. Mix it well. Cover with lid and cook it for 20 minutes. Take off the lid and cook it for another 15 minutes on low heat.

Ingredients for Rice

• 4 cups of basmati rice
• 5 to 6 cloves
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 5 pods of whole green cardamom
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 cups of water.

How to Cook Rice for Biryani

Add the ghee to the rice cooker and press the cook button. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Lightly saute them. Add rice and saute it in ghee for a few seconds until all the grains of rice is evenly coated with ghee. Add salt and water and cook it for 12 minutes.

Please Note: You can cook the rice on stove top as well as Instant Pot. However, the process will be slightly different. I am planning to make a post about it soon, so watch out for that post.

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions

• 3 large sliced onions
• 3 tbsp ghee

How to Caramelize Onions

Add ghee to a frying pan. Increase the heat to high. Add onions. Keep stirring the onions and cook it on medium to high flame. Saute it until the onions have caramelized, as shown in the picture below.

• 

• 

Layering the Biryani

The final step is to layer the biryani. I like to layer biryani the old-fashioned way. In a big stock pot or dutch oven, add a layer of chicken curry. Spread it evenly. Top it off with a layer of rice. Next, add a layer of the caramelized onions. If required, add some saffron strands for color. Repeat this process twice until all of the rice and onions have been used up. The leftover curry can be used to serve on the side.

Cover the pot with a foil and top it off with a lid. Next, cook it for another 12 minutes on very low flame.

Remove from heat. Take off the foil and your biryani is ready to be served. Serve this biryani with some leftover chicken curry, cucumber raita and lemon wedges on the side.

Tips to Make the Best Chicken Biryani

Basmati Rice: for this particular recipe use basmati long grain rice. Not only is it fragrant, it is also aesthetically pleasing to the eyes when cooked and fluffed.

Ghee: Do not skimp on ghee. Home-made ghee is the best. It adds an amazing aroma to the biryani. If you don’t have ghee, you can substitute it with butter. Allow the butter to brown and you can use it instead of ghee. However, only use as last resort. You can check out my post for making home made ghee (click here). You can also check out my video on how to make ghee in large quantity in Instant Pot (click here).

Fresh Ingredients: If you want to make the best chicken biryani, use fresh ingredients. For this recipe, I don’t not use any ready-made, over-the-counter biryani masala. Everything is freshly made and that is what makes this biryani unique and amazingly delicious.

Marinating chicken: If you have time, you can allow the chicken to marinate over night in the refrigerator.

Thick Bottom Cookware: Make sure to use a thick-bottom cookware, like a dutch oven or heavy stainless-steel pot, to steam (Dum) the biryani after it after layering. This allows for even cooking and will not burn the curry or rice at the bottom.

Chicken curry: The chicken curry after it has been cooked, it should have a thicker consistency. If it is too watery, it will not blend well with the rice when layered.

Caramelized Onions: caramelized onions are one the most important ingredient of a good biryani. If you don’t have time, you can buy fried onions from Indian store. The caramelized onions cooked in ghee is simply heavenly and add much needed aroma, sweetness and texture to the biryani.

Products Used:

Recommended Products: