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Pakistani

Sindhi biryani

Non-vegetarian

سندھی بریانی · Sindhi biryani

A boldly spiced, tangy layered biryani from Sindh, with potatoes, tomatoes, plenty of green chillies and sour dried plums cooked into the chicken masala before it is steamed under par-boiled basmati.

Sindhi biryani is a Pakistani rice dish, ready in about 2 hours 15 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, potato and basmati rice. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Delicious Indian chicken biryani served with accompanying curry and yogurt raita, capturing the essence of traditional cuisine.
Photo: Prabal Pratap Singh / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Rest
30 min
Total
2 h 15 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
798

Ingredients

8 servings

Chicken masala

Rice

Layering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it in fresh water.

    • 30 min

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the onions (opens in a new tab) until deep golden. Lift out about a third of them for layering.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the ginger and garlic (opens in a new tab), then the chicken, and fry until it loses its raw colour. Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric (opens in a new tab), coriander, cumin (opens in a new tab), garam masala (opens in a new tab) and salt, then the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), and cook until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates.

    • 12 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the yogurt (opens in a new tab), potatoes (opens in a new tab), aloo bukhara (opens in a new tab) and green chillies. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are just tender; the masala should be thick, not watery.

    • 25 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile bring the water to a rolling boil with the salt and whole spices. Add the drained rice and boil until about three-quarters cooked — the grains should still have a firm core. Drain well.

  6. Step 6

    Spread half the rice over the masala, scatter with the mint (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab), lemon (opens in a new tab) slices and reserved onions (opens in a new tab), then cover with the remaining rice. Drizzle over the saffron (opens in a new tab) milk if using.

    • 5 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  7. Step 7

    Cover tightly (seal the lid with foil or dough) and steam on the lowest heat until the rice is fully cooked. Rest 5 minutes, then fold gently from the sides to serve.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than 1–2 hours; cool leftovers quickly.

About this dish

Origin
Sindh, Pakistan · Commonly attributedAssociated with Sindh and especially Karachi; it is the default biryani across much of Pakistan.More food from Pakistan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Steamed, Boiled
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Batch cooking · One-pot
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Potato · Basmati rice · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming · Bhunao · Dum

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

798 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 542 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 17%
  • Carbohydrate 44%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy798 kcal147 kcal
Protein33.1 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate87.8 g16.2 g
Net carbohydrate82 g15.1 g
Sugars7.7 g1.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.8 g1.1 g
Fat34.8 g6.4 g
Saturated fat7.3 g1.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol98 mg18 mg
Sodium897 mg166 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1026 mg
Calcium
137 mg
Iron
6.3 mg
Magnesium
90 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
109 µg
Vitamin C
47 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
335 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: saffron.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Aloo bukhara (dried sour plums): Prunes used as a stand-in; aloo bukhara are smaller, tarter dried plums of similar composition.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Taste the masala before layering: it should be a little too salty and sour on its own, as the rice will absorb it.
  • A flat griddle under the pot during the steaming stops the bottom from scorching.

Common mistakes

  • Fully cooking the rice before layering gives a mushy biryani.
  • A runny masala makes the bottom layer soggy — reduce it first.

Serve with

  • Serve with cucumber raita and a kachumber of onion, tomato and cucumber.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Sprinkle with water and reheat covered until piping hot throughout.

Variations

  • Mutton Sindhi biryani (Pakistan): Made with goat or lamb on the bone, simmered longer before layering.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Chicken masala

Make Punjabi garam masalaUsed in steps 2, 3, 4, 5

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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