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Butter Chicken Biryani
Butter Chicken Biryani is super easy and tastes absolutely amazing every time. You just marinate chicken in yogurt and basic spices for a bit so the flavor sinks in deep then cook a silky smooth tomato gravy with butter and cream that smells heavenly. Half-cook some basmati rice separately, layer everything in a big pot, gravy at the bottom, half the rice, more gravy, rest of the rice, drizzle saffron milk and fresh coriander on top, seal the lid tight and let it slow cook on the lowest flame for twenty minutes. Thats literally it. Serve hot with cool raita or onion salad, make it mild or spicy as you like and watch everyone go for seconds. Perfect weekend meal yaar so good.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | 0.5 kg chicken | 1 kg chicken | 2 kg chicken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boneless chicken | 0.5 kg | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Basmati rice | 250 g | 500 g | 1 kg |
| Yogurt | 100 g | 200 g | 400 g |
| Tomato puree | 150 ml | 300 ml | 600 ml |
| Butter | 50 g | 100 g | 200 g |
| Fresh cream | 50 ml | 100 ml | 200 ml |
| Onion sliced | 1 large | 2 large | 4 large |
| Garlic paste | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 4 tsp |
| Ginger paste | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 4 tsp |
| Garam masala | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 4 tsp |
| Red chili powder | 0.5 tsp | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Turmeric powder | 0.5 tsp | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Coriander powder | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 4 tsp |
| Cumin seeds | 0.5 tsp | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Bay leaves | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Cinnamon stick | 1 inch | 2 inch | 4 inch |
| Cloves | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Cardamom pods | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Salt | to taste | to taste | to taste |
| Oil | 2 tbsp | 4 tbsp | 8 tbsp |
| Fresh coriander chopped | handful | 2 handfuls | 4 handfuls |
| Saffron strands | pinch | pinch | pinch |
| Milk for saffron | 2 tbsp | 4 tbsp | 8 tbsp |
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How to Make
- Mix yogurt garlic paste ginger paste red chili powder turmeric coriander powder half the garam masala and salt in a bowl
- Add chicken pieces coat everything well and leave for at least one hour or overnight in fridge
- Wash rice properly soak thirty minutes then drain
- Heat oil add cumin seeds bay leaves cinnamon cloves cardamom let them crackle thirty seconds
- Throw in sliced onions fry till golden brown keep stirring
- Add remaining garam masala cook one minute
- Put marinated chicken cook on medium till it turns white around five to seven minutes
- Pour tomato puree simmer ten minutes till gravy thickens and oil comes on top
- Add butter and cream mix well cook another fifteen minutes till chicken is soft
- Boil rice in lots of salted water till seventy percent done around eight minutes then drain
- Soak saffron in warm milk five minutes
- Take heavy pot put half rice then all chicken gravy then remaining rice
- Pour saffron milk on top scatter fresh coriander
- Cover with tight lid cook on very low flame twenty minutes
- Switch off let it rest ten minutes then open and serve
Tips
- Marinate overnight if possible the taste gets so much better
- Always use thick bottom pot so nothing sticks
- Kids around make it less spicy easy fix
- Cold cucumber raita with it feels perfect
- Rice looks dry sprinkle two spoons water before dum
- Next day leftover tastes even better just warm slowly
- Fried onions on top give nice crunch
- Chop everything before starting saves so much time
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History of Butter Chicken Biryani
Butter Chicken Biryani comes from North India mainly Punjab and Delhi areas. Now people eat it everywhere in India Pakistan Bangladesh and all over the world wherever Indians live. It is basically butter chicken gravy mixed with biryani rice. Butter chicken Biryani started in 1950s Delhi and biryani came with Mughals hundreds of years ago. Someone smart put them together and it became this beautiful dish. Families keep changing little things made it popular. Now you find it at weddings parties and Sunday lunch. Smells warm and feels like home.
Origin of Butter Chicken Biryani
Everything started in Delhi 1950s at Moti Mahal restaurant. One Punjabi chef Kundan Lal Gujral had leftover tandoori chicken. He made tomato butter cream gravy put the chicken in it and butter chicken Biryani was born. Biryani was already famous from Mughal times. North Indian cooks started using butter chicken biryani gravy instead of normal biryani masala. First at home then restaurants picked it up. By 1980s 1990s it was everywhere in menus. Smell of butter melting with spices and soft chicken pieces people loved it instantly.
Traditional Ingredients and Methods
Real version uses boneless chicken yogurt marinade tomatoes lots of butter fresh cream and whole garam masala. Rice always long grain basmati. Chicken cooks in gravy till super soft rice cooks seventy percent then both get layered. Pot gets sealed and cooks slowly on dum so steam does magic. Old homes used wood fire gave light smoky taste. Onions fried golden butter added at end for richness. Everything smells sweet spicy creamy at same time.
Early Cooking Tools
People used handi or big copper pot for dum. Spices ground fresh on stone gave different taste.
Role of Dairy
Punjab has lots of milk buffalo so butter cream yogurt always fresh. Thats why gravy so rich and smooth.
Regional Variations
Punjab makes it extra buttery sometimes adds cashew paste. Delhi keeps it mild and creamy. Karachi version spicy with green chili. Hyderabad adds little mint and lemon. London restaurants make it lighter less oil. Every place changes small things but base stays same.
North Indian Twists
Some add dry fenugreek leaves for restaurant taste.
South Asian Adaptations
Bangladesh sometimes puts potato cubes inside rice layers.
Cultural Significance
You see big handi of this at Eid Diwali weddings. Creamy gravy means prosperity in Punjab. People share one big plate shows love. After partition many families carried recipe across border became comfort food for both sides.
How It Spread and Modern Use
1960s Punjabis went to England opened restaurants put it on menu. 1980s reached America Canada. Now Instagram YouTube everyone making at home. Some do in instant pot some bake in oven but taste still awesome. Vegan versions with tofu also coming up. That is pretty much the whole story. Every family makes it slightly different and that is the fun part.
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FAQ’s
Is butter chicken Biryani actually real or just some new thing?
Yeah its totally real. Families in Punjab and Delhi have been putting butter chicken gravy with biryani rice forever. Restaurants only started showing it off recently.
Can I use leftover butter chicken to make biryani?
Best trick ever. Just half cook some fresh rice layer it with the leftover gravy put on dum for fifteen twenty minutes and honestly it tastes better than when everything was fresh.
Why does my biryani always come out soggy?
Most times the rice was cooked too much before layering. Stop when its only seventy percent done and drain properly. Also wrap the lid with cloth or foil so no extra steam drops back in.
Which chicken piece works best?
Boneless thigh all the way. Stays super juicy and soft. Breast is fine but thigh feels more like what you get in good restaurants.
Can I skip cream completely?
No problem just use thick full fat milk or blend some soaked cashews into paste. Still comes out rich and creamy nobody can tell.
How do I get nice yellow color without artificial color?
Soak proper saffron in warm milk and pour on top. Or add a tiny pinch turmeric to the rice boiling water works naturally.
Is butter chicken Biryani Indian or Pakistani?
Butter chicken Biryani was born in Delhi but biryani style belongs to both countries. People cook this exact version at home on both sides so everyone says its theirs.
How many days does it stay good in fridge?
Three four days no issue. Actually day two is the best because rice drinks up all the gravy and it becomes even tastier.
Can I freeze it?
Yes cool it down pack in boxes and freeze for one month. Take out night before warm in microwave with few drops water on top perfect again.
How to make butter chicken Biryani in instant pot?
Make gravy on sauté add half cooked rice on top pour saffron milk close lid choose rice setting six minutes natural release ten minutes done. Comes out spot on every single time.
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