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Chicken Ele Biryani | South Indian Spicy Chicken Biryani Recipe for Lunch and Dinner.
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Chicken Ele Biryani | Spicy South Indian Chicken Biryani

Chicken Ele Biryani is a classic, flavorful preparation from South Indian cuisine. The biryani is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. This not only enhances the aroma but also locks in moisture, keeping the chicken juicy and tender, the rice perfectly cooked and fluffy, and the earthy fragrance. This biryani is ideal for weekend dinners and holiday celebrations and is also known as Ela biryani or Vazhai Ilai Biryani.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Calories: 428kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

  • Steamer

Ingredients

For Chicken Marinade

  • 600 g Chicken
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Red chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup Cilantro or Coriander leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Oil

For the biryani rice

  • 1 ½ cups Basmati rice
  • Salt
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 Cardamom optional
  • 2 Cloves optional
  • ½ inch Cinnamon optional
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns optional
  • 1 Star anise optional

Saute onions

  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 2 Onions medium-sized, chopped lengthwise

For the onion tomato masala

  • 2 teaspoon Ghee
  • 2 Onions finely chopped
  • 4 Green chillies slit
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon Biryani masala or Tandoori masala
  • ¾ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
  • 3 to 4 Tomatoes finely chopped
  • ¼ cup Cilantro coriander leaves, finely chopped

Wrapping

  • Banana leaves washed and softened.

Other ingredients

  • Cilantro for garnish
  • 2 tablespoon Roasted cashews

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • In a bowl, add chicken pieces, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander leaves, lemon juice, and cilantro. Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.
    600 g Chicken, 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste, 1 ½ tsp Red chile powder, ½ tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tbsp Coriander powder, Juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup Cilantro or Coriander leaves

Biryani rice preparation

  • Wash the basmati rice and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
    1 ½ cups Basmati rice
  • Add water and salt to the pot and bring it to a boil.
    Salt
  • Add the soaked rice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, and star anise for flavour.
    1 Bay leaf, 2 Cardamom, 2 Cloves, ½ inch Cinnamon, ½ tsp black peppercorns, 1 Star anise
  • Drain and set aside when the rice is 80-90% cooked.

Sauté the onions.

  • Add oil and onions and saute until golden. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer this to a plate.
    1 tbsp Oil, 2 Onions

Cook the marinated chicken

  • Add 1 tablespoon oil and the marinated chicken.
    1 tbsp Oil
  • Cook on one side for 8 to 10 minutes on medium to high flame.
  • Flip and cook on the other side for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Set aside.

For the onion tomato masala

  • Heat the ghee in a pan. Add onions and green chillies, and sauté until the onions become translucent.
    2 tsp Ghee, 2 Onions, 4 Green chillies
  • Add turmeric powder, red chile powder, tandoori masala, salt, coriander powder, tomato, cilantro and mix well.
    ¼ tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Red chile powder, 1 tsp Biryani masala or Tandoori masala, ¾ tsp Salt, 2 tsp Coriander powder, 3 to 4 Tomatoes, ¼ cup Cilantro
  • Cover and cook until the tomato softens. Sprinkle water if desired.

Assemble and steam the biryani

  • Lay softened banana leaves.
    Banana leaves
  • Add the cooked chicken to the banana leaves.
  • Add the onion and tomato masala.
  • Next, add partially cooked rice.
  • Add chopped cilantro, sauteed onions and roasted cashews.
    Cilantro for garnish, 2 tbsp Roasted cashews
  • Tie the banana leaves to form a pouch.
  • Steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

  • Seal the parcel tightly with a rubber band or thread so that the steam is wrapped.
  • Do not overcook the rice initially.
  • Use a steamer, not a pressure cooker.
  • To soften the banana leaves, briefly pass them over the flame. This is mainly done to avoid any tearing during the wrapping. Totally optional.
  • If available, please add mint leaves along with coriander leaves for a more authentic flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 909IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg