Tandoori Chicken Biryani

Growing up, my Uncle Raj would bust out the grill a handful of times and make what he called "tandoori chicken," which was really just drumsticks dyed bright orange from a store-bought “Tandoori Chicken” spice rub. It’s not something he did often, but I remember it vividly. As a kid, I thought it was the coolest looking food on the planet. That neon chicken stuck with me, and it's part of why I wanted to make this dish.

Enter: “Inauthentic Tandoori Chicken Biryani”, and I'm calling it that on purpose. This is a backyard, Americanized version of the real thing, and I don't own a tandoor... yet. Mark my words, I will one day. Until then, a screaming hot oven does the job. Also, I'm not pretending this is traditional. Sure it's inspired by the real thing, but built the way I like to cook: big on flavor, a little extra on technique, and honestly just a love letter to a cuisine I grew up eating but don't have roots in.

The move here is roasting tandoori-marinated chicken at high heat until it's charred and caramelized, then building a thick “side curry” with fried onions, tomato paste, and those roasted chicken juices. You layer that with par-cooked basmati, fresh herbs, saffron milk, and crispy onions, then seal the whole thing shut with a dough seal and let it steam in the oven. When you crack it open at the table, it's a moment.

Serve it with a spicy cucumber raita that gets a hot oil temper right at the end for a little extra punch. Also something worth noting is the “side curry” which is a way to make the whole dish a little more saucy. It’s not an authentic technique but I like the way this eats more than a drier biryani. I suggest how to use it in the recipe notes (it makes for a great condiment too).

This whole thing takes some time to whip up, but nothing here is too difficult. It's just layering flavor on top of flavor… then layering it correctly in the pot. You got this.

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Stuff I Use...

Tandoori Masala (Spice blend)

Traditional Clay “Handi” (not my exact pot, but similar)

Indian Bay Leaves

Garam Masala (Spice blend)

Green Cardamom

Saffron (Real Deal)

Safflower (Saffron substitute)

Aged Basmati Rice

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Yield: 6-10

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Inauthentic "Tandoori" Chicken Biryani

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 H & 30 MInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 3 H & 30 M

Ingredients

Chicken & Rice Assembly

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken (legs and thighs)
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 1 cup full-fat yogurt
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 Tbsp tandoori masala
• 2 tsp garam masala, divided
• 4 Tbsp neutral oil
• 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup mint, roughly chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water

Spicy Cucumber Raita

• 2 cups full-fat yogurt
• 1 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
• 2 green chilies, minced
• 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp mint, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chili

Instructions

For the Rice

1. Pre-Cooking Prep: Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes. Warm milk and steep saffron.
2. Fry Onions: Heat oil over medium-high and fry onions until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reserve 1/4 for the next step.
3. Make Marinade: Blend garlic, ginger, yogurt, tandoori masala, and 1 tsp garam masala into a paste for marinading. Score chicken, rub with marinade, add in the 1/4 reserved fried onions and refrigerate at least 1 hour or better yet overnight.
4. Cook Rice: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil with bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Add drained rice and cook until 70% done. Drain, spread out, and discard whole spices.
5. Cook Marinaded Chicken: Heat oven to 475°F (245°C). Roast chicken for 25–30 minutes until deeply charred. Set aside to cool. Reserve juices.
6. Build the "Side Curry": Add ghee and spices to a medium sauce pan toasting until fragrant, about 2 mins on medium heat. Add minced ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add in the tomato paste and stir to toast, 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to toast, 1 minute. whisk in the reserved chicken cooking juices and stock until smooth and thickened. The curry should be orange and about as thick as clam chowder. Set this aside to cool, we'll use it later.
7. Make the dough seal or "Dum": Mix flour and water into a stiff dough and roll into a rope.
8. Layer in a Dutch oven or "Handi": In this order layer in first a large spoonful of side curry, some chicken, the par-cooked rice, chopped fresh mint/cilantro, fried onions, saffron milk. Repeat layers, finishing with rice, herbs, and saffron milk.
9. Cook: Seal with dough and bake at 400°F (205°C) for 45 minutes. Allow the rice to cool and rest, unopened for 25 minutes after cooking.
10. Serve: I like to crack open the dough seal tableside for the "oohs and ahhs", but you can also spoon this onto a large serving platter for ease. I recommend spooning the biryani on the platter in layers as it would be served from the pot. Be sure to also set out the spicy yogurt "raita" as the main condiment.

For the Raita

1. Whisk yogurt until smooth and fold in cucumber, green chilies, cilantro, mint, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Adjust seasoning.
2. Heat oil over high heat, add mustard seeds and dried chili, and cook until popping. Pour over yogurt mixture.
3. Mix and chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Adam's Notes

• Take the curry further than you think. It should be thick enough to cling, not pool.
• Undercook rice slightly or it’ll go soft during dum.
• That table-side crack is half the experience.

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