Karachi Biryani

Karachi biryani is famous throughout Pakistan. It consists of chicken and potatoes in gravy with a layer of semi-cooked rice on top of the gravy in the pot, which will be cooked on a low flame for some time until the rice is properly cooked. The Karachi biryani is usually served with raita and salad. I will share an authentic Karachi biryani recipe, which is mouthwatering and very tasty. You must try this easy and quick chicken biryani recipe.

What is biryani?

Biryani is one of the most well-known rice dishes in the Indian subcontinent. It has many variations, and many places are famous for their biryani, such as Karachi biryani, Hyderabad biryani, and Bombay biryani. Biryani consists of two parts: semi-cooked rice and meat with gravy. Meat is cooked with many spices and yogurt, while rice is boiled with some whole spices. Biryani consists of a layer of gravy and semi-cooked rice on top, which is garnished with mint leaves, fried onions, sometimes with saffron water or yellow food color, lemon, and coriander leaves.

About Karachi biryani

Karachi is a Pakistani city. It is very famous for its biryani. People love Karachi biryani, which consists of chicken and potatoes cooked in yogurt gravy and topped with semi-boiled rice. You can use any meat you like, but Karachi biryani has chicken in it. It is famed for its aroma and taste all around Pakistan. You will get the authentic taste of Karachi biryani by following this recipe. It’s so simple to make that even beginners can do it.

Ingredients for Karachi Biryani

You need the following ingredients to make a perfect Karachi biryani.

This is a recipe for one kilogram of rice.

To make chicken gravy (Korma), you need the following ingredients:

Chicken—you can also use mutton or beef but cooking time will increase as they need more time to cook.

Oil

Tomatoes—These are needed to make the perfect tangy gravy. Select soft red tomatoes.

Ginger and garlic paste

Green chilies—green chili paste is used in gravy.

Potatoes—you can also skip them, but Karachi chicken biryani has potatoes in it. Cut the potatoes into large cubes.

Dried plum

Salt

Red chili powder

Whole spices—whole cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, whole green cardamom, and star anise.

Grounded spices—Grind cumin, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon sticks thoroughly in the grinder. You can see the quantity below in the recipe card.

For boiling rice:

Rice—Sella rice is used in this recipe; you can use basmati rice as well, but in Karachi biryani, Sella rice is mostly used.

Salt

Star anise

Bay leaves

Topping on layers:

Mint leaves

Green coriander leaves

Lemon slices

Vegetable Oil—To prevent the rice from sticking together, oil is applied to the final layer of rice before cooking it on a slow flame with the lid closed.

How to make Karachi Biryani

Gravy(korma) Preparation for Karachi biryani

In a big, heavy-bottomed pot, heat one cup of oil and cook thinly sliced tomatoes on medium to low heat. While the tomatoes are frying, grind the biryani masala that will be added to the gravy. Grind whole cumin seeds, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon sticks in the grinder.

When the tomatoes become soft, add the ginger, garlic, and green chili paste and cook them with the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes.

Cook for another 2–3 minutes after adding whole spices like cumin, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, and star anise.

Then add salt and chili powder. As salt is also added to rice, use less salt in gravy (korma). You can use it according to your taste. Add dried plums to it. Stir constantly to prevent the gravy from sticking to the bottom.

Add 3/4 liters of water to the gravy. Water is added so that the chicken is properly cooked, and that the semi cooked rice will also soak up the gravy properly.

Then add ground spices and well-beaten yoghurt to it and stir slowly on a low flame so that the yoghurt doesn’t curdle up. Another method is to combine all of the dried masala with the yoghurt before adding it to the gravy.

Add large, cubed potatoes. Cover the lid and let the potatoes cook for 7 to 8 minutes. As a result, the potatoes will be cooked in steam, and less water will evaporate.

Add chicken to this gravy and cook it on medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. After that, add yellow food color to it. If you don’t want color, you can skip it too. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is tender; stir occasionally while cooking to prevent the gravy from burning.

The water in the gravy should not be reduced completely. Leave some water in the gravy; don’t evaporate all the water. This will make the biryani more flavorful. The gravy should not be too thick or thin.

Finally, add lemon slices, coriander leaves, and mint leaves to give the biryani its aroma.

Rice Preparation for Karachi biryani

Wash the rice with water properly and then soak the rice for 2 hours before boiling it.

Add salt, star anise, and bay leaves to boiling water. Remove the water from the soaked rice and add the sela rice to the boiling water. Boil the rice until it is 70 percent cooked. Take one rice grain and crush it with your finger to check how well it is cooked.

Dum Cook

Finally, add a layer of the semi cooked rice on top of gravy. Pour a half-cup of oil over the rice. This will help the rice cook properly without sticking together.

Top with some lemon slices, mint leaves, and cilantro. Also, add fried onions on top of it if you like.

Cover the pot with its lid. Seal it properly. You can use aluminum foil or any clean cloth to cover the lid properly. Cook it on a very low flame for 25 minutes.

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