Instant Pot® Biryani with Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups basmati rice
• water
• 7 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 7 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• ½ tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala, divided
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 pods cardamom, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seed
• ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon red chile powder

Step 1

Rins the basmati rice under cold water until it runs clear. Then, put it in a bowl, cover with fresh water, and let it soak for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the chicken pieces into a large bowl and mix in the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, half a teaspoon of garam masala, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir to coat the chicken well, cover, and pop it in the fridge for half an hour.

Step 2

Once your rice has soaked and the chicken is marinated, drain the rice and get your Instant Pot ready. Turn on the sauté function and melt the ghee. When it’s hot and bubbling, add the whole spices—cloves, cardamom pods, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds—and cook them for a couple of minutes until you can really smell their aroma. Then, add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften and turn fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Throw in the chicken along with the marinade and sauté everything until the chicken is nicely browned on all sides, which should take around 5 minutes. Turn off the sauté function, then add the drained rice, chicken stock, chopped cilantro and mint, the remaining teaspoon of garam masala, turmeric, paprika, and chili powder. Give it all a gentle stir to combine.

Step 4

Seal the lid and set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 6 minutes. It’ll take about 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build. When the cooking time is up, carefully use the quick-release method to let the steam out. Once the lid is off, fluff the biryani with a fork and it’s ready to serve right away.