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white chicken biryani in big platter - brown background

White Chicken Biryani (Sofiyani Biryani)

White biryani famous as Sofiyani biryani is the newly emerging biryani recipe that people love to eat all across South Asia, especially in India and Pakistan. Tender and juicy chicken cooked with white sauce, layered with steamy long grain basmati rice infused with the flavor of Indian spices make a perfect flavor for biryani foodies. Best to serve as the the main course in dinner!
4.88 from 8 votes
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Course: Biryani, Main Course, Rice
Cuisine: bengali, Indian, Pakistani
Keyword: chicken biryani, white biryani, white biryani recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 3 Persons
Calories: 440kcal
Author: Hina
Cost: $4

Ingredients

White Sauce/Curry

  • 600 g Chicken
  • 1.5 tablespoon Oil
  • Whole Garam Masala:
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 9 Cloves
  • 15 Black Pepper
  • 1 Star aniseed
  • 2 sticks Cinnamon 3″
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 1 cup Onion slices
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Salt – 1 Tsp
  • 1 cup Yogurt – 1 Cup
  • 5 Green Chilies
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
  • 1 cup Milk Doodh

Rice Ingredients

  • 3 cups Basmati Rice Long grain
  • 1.5 liter Water – 1.5 Liter
  • 1 tablespoon Salt – 1 Tbsp
  • 10 Mint Leaves
  • 6 drops Biryani Essence
  • 2 tablespoon Brown onion (birista) optional

Instructions

Step 1: Making of Chicken White Sauce/Curry

  • In a pan, add oil and heat it up.
  • Now add whole garam masala (Cumin seeds – 1 Tsp, Cloves – 9, Black Pepper – 15, Star aniseeds – 1, Cinnamon – 2 sticks (3″) and Bay leaves – 3) and let it pop for few seconds.
  • Then add onion slices and cook it on medium heat until the onion starts to change its color to pink.
  • Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.
  • Add chicken and cook on high heat so the chicken changes its color.
  • Continuously stir the chicken the until it changes the color.
  • Now add salt, yogurt, and green chilies and mix well until the yogurt mix with curry to form a gravy.
  • Add black pepper and mix well so the oil visible on the surface of the pan.
  • At this stage, add milk and mix well.
  • Cover the pan for 35 minutes to tender the chicken.
  • After 35 minutes, check the chicken and cook on high heat for a few minutes.
  • Keep it on the side as its ready to make the biryani layer.

Step 2: Rice Preparation

  • Soak 3 cups of basmati rice for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Now in a big pan, fill with water and let it boil.
  • Add mint leaves and salt in water.
  • As the water started to boil then add soaked rice in it.
  • Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on high heat. 85% Rice needs to cook during boiling rest will be done on steaming.
  • Now carefully drain the water using a strainer.

Step 3: Layering

  • In a pan, add little oil on pan surface. Now make the first layer of boiled rice.
  • Check the salt level at this stage. If you add salt then mix it well using a spoon.
  • Next, make a layer of chicken curry.
  • Then add the rice layer over it.
  • Add a few drops of biryani essence.

Step 4: Steaming

  • Now cover the pan and keep it on the stove on high to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Then turn the heat to low and make it steamy for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, turn off the heat. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to rest the rice before serving.
  • White biryani is ready to serve now!

Video

Notes

  1. For the best biryani results make sure to use premium quality basmati rice.
  2. Soak rice for 30 minutes. Avoid soaking for a long time.
  3. Make sure to drain the water after boiling the biryani rice.
  4. Avoid using red peppers to create a white biryani rice texture. 
  5. Chicken curry should not be watery when adding in biryani rice otherwise it will be mushy in look. 
  6. Avoid steaming for a long time. 

Nutrition

Serving: 500g | Calories: 440kcal