If you have heard about MasterChef Subhojit Sen, you might have also heard about his ‘Safed Biryani’. The owner of the cloud kitchen, ‘The Harmony Pot’, started his career as a home chef during the lockdown, when he started delivering a very flavourful yet subtle Kolkata-style chicken biryani from home. A little tweak to the biryani gave birth to what he is known for today — safed biryani. In a recent YouTube video, Subhojit shared a foolproof recipe of his Kolkata-style chicken biryani without gatekeeping his secret ingredients.
“I do not believe in keeping recipes a secret. Even I learnt it from somewhere and have adapted it to achieve perfection through trial and error, and experimentation. While learning, I realised that people hardly explain the ‘why’ behind a method. I have tried my best to explain that in my video,” he explained.
Subhojit Sen
But how is his safed biryani different from the Kolkata biryani? The safed biryani is a lighter version of the original dish. While it has the meat and potato with the rice, it is lighter on the stomach. “The magic is all in the yakhni,” said Subhojit.
“During the lockdown, in April 2020, I made biryani when people couldn’t go to restaurants. The first lot sold like hot cakes and people asked for more!” said the chef who made it to the Top 9 on MasterChef India Season 8. Sharing the recipe with a detailed step-by-step guide, he claims that anyone can make this chicken biryani without much hassle.
Ingredients
- Rice: 1kg
- Chicken: 1kg (150-180g pieces)
- Sunrise Biryani Masala: 2tsp + 3tsp
- Red Chilli Powder: 1tsp
- Curd: 100g
- Onion: 350g
- Ginger, Garlic & Green Chilli Paste: 80g (equal parts of each)
- Potatoes: 7-8 pieces (70-80g each)
- Saffron: a pinch
- Yellow Food Colour: ¼tsp
- Ghee: 100g
- Khoya Kheer (grated): 50g
- Alu Bukhara: 8 – 10pieces
- Refined Oil: 1 cup
- Milk: 150g
- Rose Water: 25g
- Kewra Water: 25g
- Salt: to taste
Method
- Prepare the spice-curd mix. Combine 2 tsp biryani masala and 1 tsp red chilli powder with the curd; set aside
- Marinate the chicken. Coat the chicken pieces with the spiced curd and a little salt. Cover and rest for 1–2 hours
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cover with fresh water and let it soak
- Make the beresta (fried onions). Slice the onions finely. Heat oil in a kadhai and fry the slices over medium heat until golden brown. Drain and set aside; reserve the flavoured oil
- Prep the potatoes. Peel the potatoes, rub with a pinch of yellow food colour and salt, and keep ready
- In a pressure cooker, add the potatoes, 1–2 tsp ginger-garlic-green-chilli paste, and ¼ cup of the reserved beresta oil. Add just enough water to cover, seal the cooker, and cook on high until the first whistle. Reduce to low and cook for a further 25–30 minutes. Release the pressure, remove the potatoes, and set aside
- Start the yakhni base. In a large (No. 15 aluminium) handi, heat ¾ cup of the beresta oil. Add 60g ginger-garlic-green-chilli paste and 40g beresta. Sauté over medium heat until the raw aroma disappears
- Splash in a little water and simmer for 5 minutes
- Lower the heat, add the marinated chicken, mix well, then raise to medium and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and keep aside
- Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids. Stir the clear yakhni together with the milk, rose water, and kewra water. Taste and adjust the seasoning
- In a separate pot, bring at least 3 litres of water (about three times the volume of rice) to a rolling boil with salt and whole garam masala
- Put the chicken back in the handi. Pour over the yakhni, then add the par-cooked potatoes, alu bukhara, and grated khoya. Sprinkle with beresta and the remaining biryani masala
- Add the soaked rice to the boiling water. Cook until about 80 per cent done, then drain thoroughly and spread the rice evenly over the chicken layer
- Scatter more beresta between the rice layers, then drizzle saffron-infused milk and melted ghee on top
- Cover the handi tightly and place it over high heat. When steam begins to escape from the sides, reduce to low and cook (dum) for 20 minutes
- Turn off the heat and let the biryani stand, covered, for 10–15 minutes
- Open the lid, fluff gently, and serve hot with a fresh salad