Healthy chicken biryani recipe

I’m Sahil, and welcome to foodiedry!
in this post , we’re finally making Healthy chicken biryani recipe —a dish you all have been asking for since forever! This one’s a proper, authentic version—nothing shortcut here. We’ll cook the chicken, cook the rice, layer them together, and then give it that classic dum (slow steam) for unbeatable flavor.

Let’s break it down step by step so you can nail it at home.

Ingredients for Healthy chicken biryani recipe

🔸 For Chicken Marination:

• 500 gm Chicken (with bone preferred)
• ½ cup Thick Curd (Yogurt)
• 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste

🔸 For Cooking Rice:

• 2 cups Basmati Rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
• 6–8 cups Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 1 Black Cardamom (optional)
• 1 small Cinnamon Stick
• Salt to taste

🔸 For Biryani Layering & Flavoring:

• 1 cup Fried Onions (Birista)
• 2 tbsp Ghee or Oil
• ¼ cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
• ¼ cup Chopped Mint Leaves
• A few strands of Saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk (optional)
• 1 tsp Rose Water or Kewra Water (optional for aroma)

STEP 1: Start with the Fried Onions (Birista)

• Take ½ kg onions.
• Peel, slice them in half, then cut them lengthwise—not too thick, not too thin.
• Separate all the layers. This is super important—don’t skip it!

Now for frying:

• Heat oil to about 135°C—not smoking hot.
• Fry the onions in batches. Keep the oil just enough to cover them.
• Cook on medium flame, stirring often, for about 15-20 minutes until they turn light golden brown.
• Don’t let them go too dark—they’ll keep cooking even after taking them out.
• Once done, press out the extra oil, spread on tissue, and let them crisp up.

Save the leftover onion-flavored oil—it’s liquid gold. We’ll use it later.

STEP 2: Homemade Biryani Masala (Optional but Amazing)

• Dry roast these spices on low flame:
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp shahi jeera
  • 2 tbsp green cardamom
  • 5-6 black cardamom
  • 3” cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 7-8 dry red chillies
  • 7-8 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp cloves
  • 3 mace blades
  • Finish with 1 tbsp kasuri methi

Let the spices cool, then grind them coarsely with:

• ½ grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp turmeric
• A pinch of salt

That’s your aromatic, homemade biryani masala—store it for up to 3 months!

STEP 3: Marinate the Chicken

• Take ½ kg chicken (I use leg and thigh pieces)
• Add:
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • Paste of 3 green chilies
  • 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1½ tbsp of that fresh biryani masala
  • 3-4 tbsp leftover fried onion oil

Mix well. If you’re marinating overnight, stop here.

If cooking right away, add:

• 200 ml whisked curd
• 80% of the fried onions (Birista)
• A diced potato (optional)
• Chopped mint and coriander

Now give it a quick smoke with hot coal and ghee. Cover for 2-3 mins—it adds a beautiful touch.

STEP 4: Cook the Chicken

• In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp ghee
• Add the marinated chicken
• Sear on high heat for 5-6 mins
• Then cover and cook on low for 10-12 mins until it’s 85-90% done
• Check the seasoning now—it should be a bit salty and spicy

STEP 5: Prepare the Rice

• Boil water with:
  • Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, shahi jeera, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns
  • 1-2 slit green chilies
  • Juice and rind of ½ lemon
  • Salt it like seawater
• Add ½ kg basmati rice (washed & soaked for at least 1 hour)
• Cook until 90% done (just a bite left) —about 4-5 minutes
• Drain and spread the rice on a large plate
• Fluff gently with a fork to release steam

STEP 6: Layer the Biryani

• In the same pot with cooked chicken:
  • Spread it evenly at the bottom
  • Sprinkle mint, coriander, birista, and a pinch of biryani masala
  • Gently layer all the rice on top
  • Add 3-4 tbsp warm ghee

Now for the saffron milk:

• Mix a bit of saffron with warm milk and water—drizzle over the top

Finish with:

• More mint, coriander, and remaining birista

STEP 7: Dum Time (Slow Cook)

• Cover the pot with a wet cloth or dough
• Place the lid and press it down
• Place this pot over a hot tawa (griddle)
• Cook on low heat for 25-30 minutes

Once done, rest for 5 minutes, open the lid, and inhale that delicious aroma.

Fluffy rice, juicy chicken, deep flavors, crispy onions—this is a real Chicken Dum Biryani. Totally worth the effort

Hope you enjoyed the recipe. Comment if you have any question and confusion , please follow the video given below for better understanding.

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Healthy chicken biryani recipe

foodie dry world

we’re finally making Healthy chicken biryani recipe —a dish you all have been asking for since forever! 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

 For Chicken Marination

• 500 gm Chicken with bone preferred
• ½ cup Thick Curd Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder optional
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste

For Cooking Rice

• 2 cups Basmati Rice soaked for 30 minutes
• 6 –8 cups Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 1 Black Cardamom optional
• 1 small Cinnamon Stick
• Salt to taste

For Biryani Layering & Flavoring:

• 1 cup Fried Onions Birista
• 2 tbsp Ghee or Oil
• ¼ cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
• ¼ cup Chopped Mint Leaves
• A few strands of Saffron soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk optional
• 1 tsp Rose Water or Kewra Water optional for aroma

Instructions

 

STEP 1: Start with the Fried Onions (Birista)

• Take ½ kg of onions, peel and slice them in half, then cut them lengthwise into medium-thin slices—not too thick or too thin—and make sure to separate all the layers completely. Heat oil to about 135°C (not smoking hot) and fry the onions in batches, using just enough oil to cover them. Cook on medium flame, stirring frequently, for 15–20 minutes until they turn light golden brown—don’t let them get too dark, as they’ll continue to cook after being removed. Once done, press out the excess oil, spread them on tissue to crisp up, and don’t discard the leftover onion-infused oil—it’s liquid gold and will be used later.

STEP 2: Homemade Biryani Masala (Optional but Amazing)

• Dry roast the following spices on a low flame until aromatic: 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp shahi jeera, 2 tbsp green cardamom, 5–6 black cardamom, a 3-inch piece of cinnamon, 1 tbsp black pepper, 7–8 dry red chillies, 7–8 bay leaves, 2 tsp cloves, and 3 mace blades. Finish by adding 1 tbsp kasuri methi and let the mixture cool completely. Once cooled, grind the roasted spices coarsely along with ½ grated nutmeg, ½ tsp turmeric, and a pinch of salt. This fragrant homemade biryani masala can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

STEP 3: Marinate the Chicken

• Take ½ kg of chicken (preferably leg and thigh pieces) and marinate it with salt, juice of 1 lemon, 4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, paste of 3 green chilies, 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1½ tbsp homemade biryani masala, and 3–4 tbsp leftover fried onion oil; mix well and either let it marinate overnight or proceed to cook. If cooking immediately, add 200 ml whisked curd, 80% of the fried onions (birista), a diced potato (optional), and chopped mint and coriander, then finish by giving it a quick smoke with hot coal and ghee for 2–3 minutes to infuse a beautiful smoky aroma.

STEP 5: Prepare the Rice

• Boil water with whole spices—bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, shahi jeera, cardamom, star anise, and peppercorns—along with 1–2 slit green chilies, the juice and rind of ½ lemon, and enough salt to make it taste like seawater. Add ½ kg of basmati rice that has been washed and soaked for at least an hour, and cook for about 4–5 minutes until it’s 90% done (still has a slight bite). Drain the rice and spread it out on a large plate, then gently fluff with a fork to release the steam and prevent clumping.

STEP 6: Layer the Biryani

• In the same pot where the chicken was cooked, spread the chicken evenly at the bottom, then sprinkle some mint, coriander, fried onions (birista), and a pinch of biryani masala. Gently layer all the partially cooked rice on top, followed by 3–4 tbsp of warm ghee. Prepare saffron milk by mixing a few strands of saffron with warm milk and a little water, then drizzle it over the rice. Finish the layering with more fresh mint, coriander, and the remaining birista for added flavor and aroma.

STEP 7: Dum Time (Slow Cook)

• Cover the pot tightly with a wet cloth or seal it with dough, then place the lid firmly on top and press it down to lock in the steam. Set the pot over a hot tawa (griddle) and cook on low heat for 25–30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld through the dum (slow cooking) process. Once done, let it rest for 5 minutes before opening the lid to release the rich, aromatic steam. What you get is perfectly fluffy rice, juicy chicken, deep, layered flavors, and crispy fried onions—authentic Chicken Dum Biryani that’s absolutely worth every bit of effort.

Keyword Healthy chicken biryani recipe

Tips for Healthy chicken biryani recipe

• The leftover onion-flavored oil—it’s liquid gold. We’ll use in chicken cook
• That’s your aromatic, homemade biryani masala—store it for up to 3 months
• Don’t let them go too dark barista —they’ll keep cooking even after taking them out.

FAQ