Sindhi Biryaniسنڌي بریانی

Name: Sindhi Biryani
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Sindhi
Ingredients: 2 cups Basmati rice, soaked 30 min; 800 g Chicken, bone-in pieces; 3 large Onions, thinly sliced; 1 cup Yogurt (دهي); 2 medium Tomatoes, chopped; 2 medium Potatoes, cubed; 8–10 Dried plums / aloo bukhara (آلو بخارا); 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste; 2 tsp Red chilli powder; ½ tsp Turmeric; — Whole spices: 2 bay leaves, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 cloves, 4 cardamom; a pinch Saffron strands in 3 tbsp warm milk; handful each Fresh mint and coriander; 4 tbsp Ghee or oil; to taste Salt

⏱ Prep 40m🍳 Cook 60m🍽 Serves 6🌿 Non-veg

Video: Get Curried (YouTube)

Sindhi Biryani stands apart from its Hyderabadi and Lucknowi cousins by its bold use of dried plums, fried potatoes, and a generous hand with whole spices. The result is a biryani with a sour-spicy lift that is distinctly Sindhi — every mouthful a little more complex than the last. It is the dish Sindhis point to when they want to show the world that their cooking is its own tradition.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪Basmati rice, soaked 30 min2 cups
▪Chicken, bone-in pieces800 g
▪Onions, thinly sliced3 large
▪Yogurt (دهي)1 cup
▪Tomatoes, chopped2 medium
▪Potatoes, cubed2 medium
▪Dried plums / aloo bukhara (آلو بخارا)8–10
▪Ginger-garlic paste2 tbsp
▪Red chilli powder2 tsp
▪Turmeric½ tsp
▪Whole spices: 2 bay leaves, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 cloves, 4 cardamom—
▪Saffron strands in 3 tbsp warm milka pinch
▪Fresh mint and corianderhandful each
▪Ghee or oil4 tbsp
▪Saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Dried plums (aloo bukhara) give Sindhi biryani its signature sweet-sour depth — find them at Pakistani or Indian grocery stores; pitted prunes are a workable substitute.
Bone-in chicken gives far better flavour, but boneless thighs work — reduce the cooking time in step 4 by about 8 minutes.
If saffron is unavailable, dissolve ¼ tsp turmeric in warm milk for the golden colour; the flavour will differ slightly but the effect is beautiful.

Method

1Parboil soaked basmati with whole spices and salt until 70% done — grains should still have a firm center. Drain and set aside.
2Fry sliced onions in ghee until deep golden and crispy; remove and reserve half for garnish. In the remaining fat, cook ginger-garlic paste 2 minutes.
3Add tomatoes and cook to a thick masala. Stir in red chilli, turmeric, and salt. Add chicken pieces and sear until sealed on all sides, 5 minutes.
4Pour in beaten yogurt, add potato cubes and dried plums. Cover and cook on medium-low 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
5In a heavy pot, layer half the parboiled rice over the chicken masala. Scatter mint, coriander, and half the fried onions. Add remaining rice on top and pour saffron-milk over.
6Seal the pot with a tight-fitting lid or dough rope. Dum-cook on the lowest flame for 20 minutes (or 180°C oven for 20 minutes).
7Open, mix gently, and serve garnished with remaining fried onions.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.