Homemade Chicken Biryani & Soft Naan Bread: Authentic Recipe

Prepare Naan Dough: In a bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. Add flour, salt, yogurt, and 2 tbsp oil. Knead into a soft, elastic dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until doubled in size.

Marinate Chicken for Biryani: In a large bowl, mix chicken pieces with plain yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp biryani masala, and salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or preferably 2 hours.

Fry Onions: Heat oil/ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add sliced onions and fry on medium-high heat until deeply golden brown and crispy. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside for garnishing.

Cook Chicken Gravy: To the remaining fried onions in the pot, add chopped tomatoes and cook until softened. Add the marinated chicken, remaining biryani masala, green chilies, mint, and coriander. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is half cooked and releases oil (about 20-25 minutes).

Par-Boil Rice: In a separate large pot, bring plenty of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the soaked basmati rice and cook until it is 70% done (the grains should still have a slight bite). Drain immediately.

Assemble Biryani: Layer the par-boiled rice over the chicken gravy in the pot. Drizzle saffron milk (if using) and lemon juice over the rice. Sprinkle the reserved fried onions, some fresh mint, and coriander on top.

Dum Cook Biryani: Cover the pot tightly with a lid (you can seal with dough or aluminum foil for a perfect seal). Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to very low and cook for another 20-25 minutes until rice is fully cooked and flavors are blended. Let it rest for 10 minutes before opening.

Shape and Cook Naan: Gently punch down the risen naan dough and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Roll each portion into an oval or round shape. Cook on a hot tawa (griddle) or in a preheated oven (250°C/480°F) until bubbles appear and it's lightly browned. Brush with ghee or butter.

Serve: Gently fluff the biryani with a fork to mix the layers. Serve hot with the fresh homemade naan bread and raita (yogurt dip, optional).