Ingredients

• 500 g basmati rice
• 400 g chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 200 ml yogurt
• 50 ml cooking oil
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp biryani masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
• Fresh coriander and mint for garnish
• 2 green chilies, sliced
• Water, for cooking the rice

Method

1. Cook the basmati rice in plenty of water with a little salt until they are 70-80% done. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the sliced onions until golden. Remove half of the onions and set them aside for garnish.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste to the remaining onions in the pan and fry for one minute. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides.
4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and yogurt, and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Add the garam masala, biryani masala, turmeric and salt, and let the sauce thicken.
5. Place half of the cooked rice in a large pot, and spread the chicken mixture evenly over the rice. Cover with the remaining rice.
6. Drizzle the saffron milk over the top and add the fried onions, green chilies, fresh coriander and mint as garnish.
7. Cover the pot and let the biryani simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, until all the flavors have fused and the rice is fully tender.
8. Gently stir the biryani to combine the layers and serve hot with raita or salad.

Vegetarian variation with vegetables

For a vegetarian version of Pakistani biryani, you can replace the chicken with a mix of vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower and peas. Lightly sauté the vegetables before adding them to the biryani, then follow the rest of the recipe as usual.