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Kolkata-Style Chicken Biryani

Recipe by Shahzadi Shabnam on InstagramAdded 28 October 2026.

30 minutes to prep, 1 hour to cook. A fragrant Kolkata‑style chicken biryani packed with spiced chicken, tender potatoes, and aromatic whole spices, all layered with fluffy rice. The dish balances rich, savory flavors with a hint of sweet attar, making it a comforting feast for any dinner table.

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Kolkata-Style Chicken Biryani by Shahzadi Shabnam, a frame from the Instagram video

Method

  1. Heat oil in a wok and sauté sliced red onions until golden brown.

  2. Add raw chicken pieces to the wok and brown them on all sides.

  3. Stir in the yellow paste (likely a spice paste) and coat the chicken.

  4. Add whole spices, red spice powder, potatoes, yogurt, and salt; mix well.

  5. Pour Moghul Meetha Attar over the chicken and potatoes and stir.

  6. Add yellow fat (ghee or butter) and a little more oil; continue simmering the chicken mixture.

  7. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil, add whole spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, etc.) and the uncooked rice; cook until rice is partially done.

  8. Layer the partially cooked rice over the chicken and sauce in the pot.

  9. Drizzle Ryani biryani flavoring oil over the rice layer.

  10. Add a dollop of yogurt‑based sauce over the rice.

  11. Pour the dark amber liquid (stock or broth) evenly over the rice.

  12. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low heat (or in a pressure cooker) until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors meld.

  13. Allow the biryani to rest for a few minutes before gently fluffing and serving.

Tips while you cook

Sauté onions fully
Cook the sliced red onions until golden brown before adding the chicken.
Rest before serving
Let the biryani rest a few minutes after cooking to settle the layers.
Partial rice cooking
Boil the rice with whole spices only until it is partially done before layering.

Notes from ReelsMeals, based on this recipe's ingredients, times and method. They are not the creator's instructions.

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Shahzadi Shabnam made this.

The recipe comes from Shahzadi Shabnam’s Instagram reel. ReelsMeals wrote it down from the caption and the voiceover. Check the original if something looks off, and for anything about allergens.

Are you Shahzadi Shabnam and want this changed? Email [email protected].

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