Biryani for life 🫶
Creamy, rich, and layered with so much flavor 🤍🍚
This malai chicken biryani is comforting, indulgent, and perfect for slow weekends ✨
Recipe 👇
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Recipe -
Ingredients
Green Masala
Onion – 2 medium
Green chillies – 5
Garlic cloves – 10–15
Ginger – 3-inch piece
Coriander leaves – 1 handful
Cashew and melon seed paste 💛
Cashew – 10–12
Melon seeds – 1 tbsp
Hot water – ½ cup
Marination
Curd – 250 g
Fresh cream – 250 ml
White/Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Chaat masala - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - ½ tsp
Fried onion – ¼ cup
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1
Green masala paste – prepared above
Cashew & melon paste – prepared above(¼ cup)
Salt – to taste
Chicken – 750 g (legs cut into drumstick + thigh)
Gravy Base
Cloves – 4
Cardamom – 2
Black peppercorns – 12
Coriander leaves – handful
Butter & oil – as required
Rice
Basmati rice – 3 cups
Salt - 3 tbsp
Green cardamom – 3–4 pods
Bayleaf -2/3
Cinnamon – 1 inch
Cloves – 4
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Mace – 1 blade
Mint leaves - 5/10 leaves
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – ¼ cup
Kesar milk
Milk – ½ cup
Kesar – 4–5 strands
Assembly Assembly
Coriander (finely chopped) – ½ cup
Mint leaves – small bunch
Fried onion – ½ cup
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Kesar milk – ½ cup
Rose water - 3 tsp
Kewra water - 3 tsp
Method
1. Prep
Blend all green masala ingredients into a smooth paste.
Soak cashew & melon seeds in hot water for 15–20 mins, then blend into a smooth paste.
2. Marinate Chicken
In a large bowl, combine chicken with all marination ingredients, including both pastes.
Mix well and marinate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
3. Prepare Rice
Wash basmati rice until water runs clear and soak for 10 minutes.
Boil water with whole spices, add rice and cook till 70% done.
Drain and set aside.
4. Cook Chicken Base
Heat ghee + a little oil in a heavy-bottom pot.
Add marinated chicken and cook till 50–60% done. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pot, add whole spices.
Add leftover marinade and cook till it thickens slightly.
Return chicken to the pot and cook for 10 minutes till gravy is creamy and rich.
5. Layering
Remove half the chicken mixture.
Spread a layer of rice over the remaining chicken.
Add Coriander, Mint,Fried onions,Kesar milk,Little ghee,Rose water,Kewra water &add remaining chicken + gravy &another layer rice and same toppings
6. Dum Cooking
Cover tightly and place on a tawa (griddle).
Cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes with the weight on the lid. Let it rest for 10 minutes
7. Serve
Gently mix before serving.
Serve hot with raita.
As someone who loves exploring flavorful Indian dishes at home, I found this Malai Chicken Biryani recipe to be an absolute game-changer in comfort food. The creamy texture from fresh cream and curd combined with the richness of cashew and melon seed paste gives the biryani a luscious depth that's hard to beat. When preparing the green masala paste, blending fresh coriander, green chilies, garlic, and ginger fresh really made a difference in the aromatic profile. Marinating the chicken overnight allows the spices and creamy base to deeply infuse, resulting in tender, juicy pieces bursting with flavor after cooking. One tip I recommend is to soak the basmati rice just right and partially cook it before layering, as it ensures that the grains remain separate and fluffy rather than clumpy after the dum cooking process. The step of layering the chicken mixture with rice and topping each layer with fried onions, chopped coriander, mint leaves, along with saffron-infused milk, rose water, and kewra water gives the biryani an exquisite aroma that elevates the entire experience. Especially adding rose and kewra water creates a subtle floral fragrance that complements the creamy malai gravy beautifully. Cooking the assembled biryani on low heat using the dum method helps the flavors marry perfectly while keeping the moisture locked in. I used a heavy-bottomed pot and placed a tava (griddle) under it to avoid direct heat, which prevented the rice from burning at the bottom. Serving this biryani with a side of cooling cucumber raita balanced the richness wonderfully, making it a perfect weekend treat to share with friends and family. This recipe really highlights how layering spices, textures, and cooking methods can create a comforting yet indulgent dish that's memorable and deeply satisfying. I highly encourage trying this for anyone looking for an authentic, creamy, and flavorful chicken biryani experience at home.
