Published September 1, 2005.
The best chicken biryani recipes place long-grain basmati at center stage, enriching it with butter, saffron, and a variety of fresh herbs and pungent spices. For our biryani recipe, we browned chicken thighs, then removed the skin before layering the chicken with the rice, lots of caramelized onions, and just the right blend of spices. To get the most flavor out of the spices, we tied them into a cheesecloth bundle and simmered them in the rice cooking water for at least 15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Biryani is traditionally served with a cooling yogurt sauce; ideally, you should make it before starting the biryani to allow the flavors in the sauce to meld. See related recipe.
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