Chicken biryani. Just the name is enough to make most of us hungry, right? It’s not just food, it’s an emotion. You can cook it for a family get-together or just try to treat yourself on a weekend, cooking the perfect biryani at home can feel incredibly rewarding. But as any biryani lover knows, this dish isn’t as easy to make as pulao. One wrong step and you’re stuck with a taste that won’t delight but haunt you forever. So, to save you from that trouble, we have listed five mistakes you should avoid while making chicken biryani at home.
Also Read: Chicken Kabsa: Saudi Arabian Version Of Chicken Biryani That’ll Blow Your Mind
Here Are 5 Mistakes You Should Avoid While Making Chicken Biryani At Home
1. Using Cold Or Unmarinated Chicken
The essence of your chicken biryani lies in the taste of the meat. One big mistake that you could make is using chicken straight from the fridge or skipping the marination step. Cold chicken can reduce the cooking temperature and ends up releasing water, making your biryani soggy. Also, if you don’t marinate or season your chicken, it won’t absorb any flavour and your biryani will be tasteless. Before cooking, make sure to marinate your chicken for at least 1-2 hours in yoghurt and spices to make sure your biryani is flavourful.
2. Not Cooking The Rice Properly
Rice is the backbone of biryani but it majorly depends on how you cook it. Many people either overcook it till it’s mushy or undercook it so it’s hard and chewy. The important thing to remember here is that you need to boil rice partially until it is 70 per cent done. It should be able to break between your fingers but at the same time, be a little undercooked. This helps the rice to cook fully when layered with the chicken and masala during dum cooking.
3. Skipping The Dum Process
See, unlike pulao, biryani needs dum. Some people mix all the ingredients together which removes the essence of biryani. When you layer the biryani with half-cooked rice, marinated chicken and so on, it seals the flavour. Slow-cooking it on dum helps the flavours to release beautifully. If you skip this step, your dish is more likely to become chicken rice than a proper biryani.
4. Not Frying The Onions Properly
Each and every ingredient in biryani plays a key role in taste and aroma. The golden, caramelised onions in biryani are more important than you think. Many people don’t pay attention to them and either burn them or leave them undercooked. Onions need to be fried slowly till they are crisp and golden brown. These onions add sweetness, crunch, and depth of flavour to the biryani.
5. Cooking On High Heat
Biryani is one thing that doesn’t require a rush. Cooking it on high flame or adding too much water will either burn the bottom or make everything a sticky mess. Always keep the flame on low once you seal the pot for dum. If you are still worried about burning, place a tawa under the biryani pot to distribute the heat evenly.
Also Read: 5 Signs That Prove You Are The Ultimate Biryani Lover
If you want an easy recipe for chicken biryani, click here.
