• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
tips n recipes
  • Recipes
  • WHW
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • WHW
  • About
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • WHW
    • About
  • ร—

    Home ยป Recipes ยป Recipes

    Bombay Chicken Biryani|Pakistani Biryani

    Published: Dec 3, 2021 ยท Modified: Oct 17, 2022 by Abhi

    8
    Shares

    Jump to Recipe

    A mouth-watering, flavourful Bombay Chicken Biryani (Pakistani biryani recipe) is a perfect treat for weekends or occasions that everyone would certainly love it.

    Bombay biryani in a pan
    Jump to:
    • About the biryani recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Pakistani chicken biryani?
    • Storage suggestions
    • How to avoid chicken biryani getting wet?
    • How to avoid biryani getting stuck at the bottom?
    • What are some common mistakes when making chicken biryani?
    • Tips n suggestions
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    About the biryani recipe

    This Pakistani biryani recipe is a heavenly delicacy prepared with marinated chicken, fried onions, and flavourful long-grain rice. The recipe calls for chicken marination using Bombay biryani masala that infuses aromatic spices into the biryani and is thus named Bombay chicken biryani.

    I use Shan Special Bombay Biryani in this recipe, which is a blend of several aromatic spices and is suitable for recipes and seasonings. I highly recommend using this masala if you are also lazy like me to make your biryani masala.

    Chicken Pakistani biryani is a heavy, costly and time-consuming preparation. But trust me, all the effort and money are worthwhile when you look at this rich dish which is truly a feast for the senses.

    For any biryani to come out perfect, the selection of rice is quite significant. A biryani with fluffy, non-sticky long grain rice is a treat to the eyes.

    Consider the following characteristics of rice that are good for biryani:

    • It must be Basmati rice.
    • It should be aged.
    • Long grain.
    • Aromatic.

    Ingredients

    To make Pakistani biryani recipe chicken, we need the following items:

    ingredients for biryani
    Ingredients for Bombay chicken biryani/Pakistani biryani
    • Chicken
      • I prefer boneless chicken for making biryani as it takes less time to cook, a time-saving hack!!
      • For this recipe, I have taken chicken breast.
    • Rice
      • Use long grain Basmati rice.
      • Long grain Basmati rice is the best for making biryani as they come out with perfect, non-sticky fluffy rice grains after cooking.
    • Shan Biryani masala
      • It is a must-have biryani ingredient for flavour rich biryani.
      • This masala is too spicy, so use it carefully.
      • You can get this masala at any Asian grocery store.
      • You are free to use any biryani masala. I always use this and am highly dependent on this masala as biryani come out perfect every time I cook.
    • Ginger garlic paste
      • Use fresh if you have time. Otherwise, store-bought also works well.
      • I make it by grinding fresh ginger (2 inch) and garlic (8-10 cloves) in a mixer using one tablespoon of water.
    • Yogurt
      • I use full-fat yogurt. Feel free to use any.
      • It helps in marination, so don't skip this.
    • Onions
      • Chop thin, long slices and separate them for frying.
      • Use half of the fried onions for making biryani and half for garnish.
    • Tomatoes
      • Use fresh and red ones to give brilliant colour to the biryani.
      • I blend them to make a paste.
    • Spices
      • Salt, cinnamon, bay leaf, black & green cardamoms, star anise, cloves, kewra water.
    • Cilantro
      • Optional - few for garnish.

    How to make Pakistani chicken biryani?

    For the full recipe, check out the video below.

    Donโ€™t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay up to date on all my new videos!! 

    Let's dive in ....

    Step-1 Marinate chicken

    • Clean and cut the chicken into pieces of the size you like. You can either buy pre-cut pieces of a whole chicken.
    • Combine chicken, freshly prepared ginger-garlic paste, Bombay biryani masala and yogurt in a mixing bowl.
    • Mix well to incorporate all the spices.
    • Cover and allow it to marinate for 2 hours or overnight (keeping it in the fridge.) You are free to do whatever best suits you.
    chicken marination for biryani
    Chicken marination for biryani Pakistani

    Step- 2 Cook rice

    • Soak basmati rice for at least 30 minutes.
    • In a wok, add water, salt, spices (cinnamon, bay leaf, black cardamoms, star anise, cloves, green cardamoms), kewra water, and drained rice (previously soaked).
    • Cover with a lid and cook rice at least 75%.
    • Drain and keep the rice aside. (images below)
    preparing rice for biryani
    Parboil rice for Bombay chicken biryani

    Step-3 Fry onions

    • Chop onions into thin slices.
    • Fry them in medium hot oil until turning golden brown.
    • Spread on a paper towel. Be sure to keep each onion slice separated to make them crispy. (images below)
    chopping and frying onions
    Onions preparation

    Step- 4 Chicken Biryani Assembly (pics below)

    1. To the same pan where onions were fried, remove excess oil and pour marinated chicken into the remaining oil. Cook chicken for 7-8 minutes so that all the spices in the marinade gets blended into the oil.
    2. When chicken gets slightly tender, add tomato puree and cook it till 75% is done.
    3. Add fried onions, saute for 3-5 minutes.
    4. When oil is released, spread evenly parboiled rice over the chicken.
    5. Add fried onions on top of the rice layer.
    6. Cover with a lid. Place the pan on a griddle (Tawa) on low heat for 12-15 minutes or till you get the desired cooked biryani.
    chicken biryani final steps
    Final steps for Chicken biryani
    • After 15 minutes, please turn off the stove and keep it under steam for 5-10 minutes.
    • Give a good mix with a spatula to mix the rice and chicken well.
    • Garnish with fried onions and freshly chopped cilantro leaves on the top.
    • Serve hot and enjoy Bombay chicken biryani!!
    close up of chicken biryani
    Garnish and serve hot Bombay Chicken biryani

    Storage suggestions

    You can store this chicken biryani in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Be sure to heat it properly before serving.

    How to avoid chicken biryani getting wet?

    Biryani gets wet when there is a lot of moisture left after cooking. If you find your cooked chicken biryani is wet, consider the following points to overcome this:

    • Marinate the chicken in yogurt and spices before cooking. In this way, it oozes out most of its moisture into the marinade instead of the biryani.
    • Cook the marinated chicken 75% before adding rice.
    • Drain the parboiled rice before layering for biryani.
    • Please do not add water unless it is required while making biryani.

    How to avoid biryani getting stuck at the bottom?

    It is the most common problem we face when we make it for the first time. To avoid biryani sticking at the bottom, you can consider the following:

    1. Don't skimp on using oil. Always use a generous amount while preparing biryani.
    2. Use a thick bottom vessel.
    3. If you find the partially cooked chicken is dry, consider adding a small amount of water.
    4. Add fried onions to the chicken and the biryani as well.
    5. After adding rice, cook it on low heat.
    bombay chicken biryani garnished with onions

    What are some common mistakes when making chicken biryani?

    1. I think one of the most common mistakes we all might face while preparing a biryani is not generously doing labour, as it is a time-consuming delicacy. So please do not compromise on time, as each step plays a crucial role in the overall biryani outcome.
    2. Biryani masala is the most crucial step in the biryani. If you use it too much, biryani will be too spicy to handle, and if it is not enough, you can miss the richness of the biryani. Use enough amount of masala to coat the chicken while marinating.
    3. If not using the right quality of rice. Always use long-grain, aged basmati rice for fluffy, non-sticky rice grains.
    4. Boiling rice to the full extent makes biryani sticky. Remember, cook it to 75% and cook the rest of the rice with the partially cooked chicken.
    5. Chicken is not cooked well before adding parboiled rice.
    6. Too much water in the chicken while adding parboiled rice. It may cause sticky, wet biryani.
    7. The chicken is too dry while adding parboiled rice. It may cause dry biryani that can stick at the bottom.
    8. Adding too much oil that it is overflowing may ruin the biryani.
    9. Cooking biryani on high heat may burn the biryani.
    10. Onions slices are thick chopped. It will not crisp after frying. Make sure to cut thin slices of onions.
    11. Over fried onion slices. Fry onions till golden brown. Overfrying will impart a bitter taste to the biryani.
    12. Please remember biryani is a rich and costly preparation so, please do not compromise on the quality of the ingredients as ingredients are the base of a delicious biryani.

    For best results, I suggest you follow a detailed recipe the first few times until you learn the ingredients and techniques.

    Tips n suggestions

    1. Please do not compromise on the time and ingredients for making biryani.
    2. Soak rice at least half an hour before cooking.
    3. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.
    4. Always try to use fresh ginger-garlic paste. It takes the dish to the next level.
    5. If you have saffron, make use of it. It gives a brilliant colour to the biryani.
    6. This recipe is mildly spicy. For spicier, you can add chilli powder and more of biryani masala.
    7. Add salt carefully as the biryani masala already contains it.
    8. You can also add nuts. Be sure to saute them before adding in biryani.
    9. Fry onions in a large batch as you need a lot for garnishing before serving.
    10. Make sure to separate fried onion slices from each other to keep them crispy.
    11. Always cook biryani on low heat after layering.
    12. Please don't add water unless you feel the cooked chicken is dry.
    13. Avoid over frying onions as this can make biryani bitter.

    ..........before you leaveโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ฆ

    And if you try this Bombay chicken biryani/ Pakistani Biryani Recipe, please let me know what you think!

    You can also leave a comment or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #tipsnrecipes to let me know how it goes!

    Follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter to see more tips and delicious food recipes.


    You can also Subscribe to my mailing list.

    Recipe

    Bombay biryani in a pan

    Bombay Chicken Biryani | Pakistani Biryani Recipe

    Abhi
    A mouth-watering, flavourful Bombay Chicken Biryani (Pakistani biryani recipe) is a perfect treat for weekends or occasions that everyone would certainly love it.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    marination 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Pakistani
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 512 kcal

    Equipment

    • pan

    Ingredients
      

    Marination

    • 500 gram chicken breast
    • ยฝ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
    • 1.5 tablespoon biryani masala
    • โ…“ cup yogurt

    Rice

    • 1.5 cup Basmati rice
    • 1 cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2-3 black cardamoms
    • 3 star anise
    • 3-4 cloves
    • 3 green cardamoms
    • 1 teaspoon kewra water
    • suffcient quantity water

    Biryani

    • 4-5 onions
    • 4 tomatoes
    • suffcient quantity oil for frying
    • garnish Cilantro

    Instructions
     

    Chicken Marination

    • Combine chicken, freshly prepared ginger-garlic paste, Bombay biryani masala and yogurt in a mixing bowl.
    • Mix well to incorporate all the spices.
    • Cover and allow it to marinate for 2 hours or overnight (keeping it in the fridge.)

    Parboil Rice

    • Soak rice for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
    • Add a lot of water to a pan and add cinnamon, bay leaf, black cardamoms, star anise, cloves, green cardamoms,ย kewra water, salt, rice.
    • Cover and cook 75%.
    • Drain and set aside.

    Fry onions

    • Cut thin slices of onions.
    • Fry them until golden brown. Set aside.

    Chicken Biryani

    • Cook chicken in a pan for 5-7 minutes.
    • Add tomato puree to it and continue cooking.
    • When chicken is cooked 75%, add some fried onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    • As soon as the chicken releases the oil, layer over the parboiled rice.
    • Add fried onions the top of rice layer.
    • Cover with lid and place the pan over a griddle (Tawa).
    • Turn the heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes.
    • Give it a good mix to combine rice and chicken.
    • Garnish with fried onions and chopped cilantro.
    • Here you go!

    Video

    Notes

    1. Please do not compromise on the time and ingredients for making biryani.
    2. Soak rice at least half an hour before cooking.
    3. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.
    4. Always try to use fresh ginger-garlic paste. It takes the dish to the next level.
    5. If you have saffron, make use of it. It gives a brilliant colour to the biryani.
    6. This recipe is mildly spicy. For spicier, you can add chilli powder and more biryani masala.
    7. Add salt carefully as the biryani masala already contains it.
    8. You can also add nuts. Be sure to saute them before adding in biryani.
    9. Fry onions in a large batch as you need a lot for garnishing before serving.
    10. Make sure to separate fried onion slices from each other to keep them crispy.
    11. Always cook biryani on low heat after layering.
    12. Please don't add water unless you feel the cooked chicken is dry.
    13. Avoid over frying onions as this can make biryani bitter.
    ย 
    Nutrition Facts
    Servings:ย 4
    Amount per serving ย 
    Calories: 512 ย 
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fatย 5.3g 7%
    Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
    Cholesterolย 81mg 27%
    Sodiumย 784mg 34%
    Total Carbohydrateย 77.8g 28%
    Dietary Fiber 6.3g 22%
    Total Sugars 10.8g ย 
    Proteinย 36g ย 
    Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
    Calcium 129mg 10%
    Iron 3mg 14%
    Potassium 1052mg 22%
    *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
    Note: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.
    Donโ€™t forget to subscribe to myย YouTube Channelย to stay up to date on all my new videos!!ย 
    You can alsoย Subscribeย to my mailing list for the latest updates.
    ย 
    Keyword Bombay chicken biryani, pakistani biryani recipe


    8
    Shares

    More Recipes

    • cucumber raita with a plate of biyani
      How to make raita for biryani |Biryani raita recipe
    • cauliflower pickle in a glass jar
      Gobhi Ka Achar / Yellow Pickled Cauliflower
    • Paneer aloo paratha topped up with butter
      Paneer Aloo Paratha Recipe
    • fairy bread treats with cutters on a black plate
      Fairy Bread Sandwiches

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kayla DiMaggio

      December 04, 2021 at 12:47 pm

      5 stars
      Loving this bombay chicken biryani! It was a huge hit in my family for dinner this week!

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 05, 2021 at 5:51 am

        Thank you for the kind words!

        Reply
    2. Giangi Townsend

      December 04, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      That looks amazing. Love all the spices in the rice, I can smell them. Will definitely make it for my family as it sounds amazing

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 05, 2021 at 5:50 am

        Thanks, Giangi! I am 100 % sure you would love it!!

        Reply
    3. Dawn Conklin

      December 04, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      This Bombay chicken biryani is so delicious, the family loved it! Thank you for giving so much information on how to make it, it really made it easier for me to follow and prepare it without any problems. Definitely making this again.

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 05, 2021 at 5:50 am

        Thanks for the appreciation!

        Reply
    4. Kalin Williams

      December 04, 2021 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds and looks incredible! I can't wait to give it a try!

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 05, 2021 at 5:48 am

        Thanks, Kalin! Please share your experience once you make it!

        Reply
    5. Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady

      December 05, 2021 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      Oh this dish sounds so flavourful and looks delicious. I think I will add it to my menu at work, to try something new! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 07, 2021 at 6:21 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    6. Gabriela Herrera

      December 07, 2021 at 2:33 am

      5 stars
      What a flavorful dish, i absolutely loved it.

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 07, 2021 at 6:21 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Gina Abernathy

      December 07, 2021 at 12:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a wonderful and flavorful dish for any night of the week.

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 08, 2021 at 12:49 am

        Thanks, Gina!

        Reply
    8. Matej @ CookWeWill.Com

      December 07, 2021 at 2:20 pm

      5 stars
      I'm always looking for "oriental" recipes, I just love this way of cooking. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe, going on my to-try list right now ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Abhi

        December 08, 2021 at 12:48 am

        Nice to know that!Thanks for the kind words!!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    tips n recipes

    Hi, I'm Abhi!

    A face behind the tips n recipes, a blog where you will find delicious, low-calorie, low-spice, tried and tested recipes with tips that help you make 100% failproof recipes.

    More โ†’

    FODMAP Friendly Recipes

    Don't forget to try these delicious low-FODMAP recipes ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

    • guacamole low FODMAP with tacos in a bowl
      Low FODMAP Guacamoleย 
    • Fodmap freindly green beans on the plate
      Green Beans FODMAP
    • low fodmap strawberry smoothie in glasses
      Low FODMAP Strawberry Smoothie
    • low fodmap pasta salad in bowls on a table
      Low FODMAP Pasta Salad Recipe

    Don't want to miss the Recipe videos??

    Subscribe

    to tips n recipes on my YouTube channel to stay connected!!

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    Sign Up! for newsletter

    YouTube for videos

    Contact

    Contact

    As a part of affiliate marketing I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ยฉ 2022 tips n recipes | All rights reserved

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking โ€œAcceptโ€, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT