Sylheti Biryani
If you've got basmati rice, bone-in chicken pieces and ghee, you're most of the way to this chicken: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak it for 30 minutes; meanwhile marinate the chicken in the yogurt, half the ginger-garlic paste and a little salt.
- Thinly slice the onions and fry them in the ghee over medium heat until deep golden brown, then remove half to drain on paper for garnish.
- To the remaining onions add the cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves and let them sizzle, then stir in the rest of the ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chillies.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through to at least 74 C, with the yogurt reduced to a thick masala.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the drained rice and parboil for about 5 minutes until the grains are 70 percent cooked, then drain.
- Layer the parboiled rice over the chicken, scatter over the reserved fried onions and drizzle the saffron milk on top, then cover tightly and steam on a very low heat for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and rest the biryani for 10 minutes, then gently fold the layers together so the rice stays separate and serve hot.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Large pot Β· Saucepan Β· Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk Β· Β½ cup evaporated milk + Β½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Sylheti Biryani take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Sylheti Biryani is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Traditional Iftar platter with Biryani and Dates in Sylhet, Bangladesh (2).jpg by Amirhusenjihed, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.