Keto Chicken Biryani
The king of rice dishes – The Biryani, now made Keto
It’s no-guilt biryani time! Say hello to cauliflower rice Keto Biryani. If you are a desi boy or a desi girl then you’ve probably had a craving for biryani and been saving it up for one of your cheat days. I’ve got this slamming recipe for Keto chicken biryani which will save you a cheat day and satisfy all your rice cravings.
Kacchi Biryani and Pakki Biryani
When it comes to Biryani, I personally prefer mutton over chicken. I’m not sure why I made chicken but it might have something to do with the cooking time. Biryani can be made the way I’ve shown you, everything in one pot which is known as Kacchi Biryani. It can also be made separately, where the meat is cooked on it’s own, the rice separately as well and then it’s assembled together. This is called Pakki Biryani. In a carb filled world I would only choose Kachi Biryani. On keto, especially if cooking mutton, I’d go with Pakki. The reason being mutton needs to be cooked for 45-60 minutes on average and cauliflower rice needs all of 15 minutes or maybe 20 at best to cook. Hence the choice. Anyway enjough jibber jabber, enjoy the recipe.
I also realize that this is a rather elaborate dish and it does take some time and it’s a labour of love. However, if you want something that’s similar, but easier to make, I have just the dish for you. I would recommend that you try my Keto chicken pualo recipe. It’s far simpler to make but yields a dish that’s full of flavour. Of course, a Biryani, is a biryani and a pulao, a pulao.
Nutrition Info (Per serving)
- Calories: 427
- Net Carbs: 6g
- Carbs: 9g
- Fat: 18g
- Protein: 59g
- Fiber: 3g
Recipe makes 4 servings. Get this recipe on myfitnesspal.
Keto Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken cut curry style
- 500 grams Cauliflower (Riced)
- 2 tbsp Ghee I recommend this one
- 100 grams Yoghurt
- 2 tbsp Coriander Paste
- 1 tbsp Handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 tbsp Tumeric I recommend this one
- 1/2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder I use this
- 1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder I recommend this one
- 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala I recommend this one
- 1/2 tbsp Cumin Powder I recommend this one
- 1/2 Lime juice
- Salt
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste I recommend this one
- Onion Fried
- Pinch of Saffron Buy Saffron Online
- a few drops of Kewra Buy Kewra Online
- a few drops of Shahi Biryani liquid Buy Shahi Biryani Essence Online
- Melted Butter
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken overnight with 1 tbsp ghee, yorghurt, coriander paste, fresh mint leaves, salt, ginger garlic paste and all the spices.
- Pour some ghee into the biryani handi.
- Layer the chicken and then the rice.
- Top with the fried onions, saffron soaked in warm water, fresh mint and coriander, kewra and shahhi biryani liquid.
- Cook on a low flame for 20-25 minutes till the chicken is cooked through
- Serve with a tablespoon of butter to up the fat content 🙂
Oh have had such a craving for biryani!! Quick question to make it dairy free can coconut milk be substituted for the yogurt?
Yes you can do that, it will have a slightly different flavour but that will also work for sure.
Thank you so much!
Really a simple but a delicious recipe!!! Will give it a try on coming weekend!!
Hi Sahil. Made this today and the taste was delicious. The only thing that there was a lot of liquid after the biryani was cooked. I boiled it off, but any suggestions on why this happened? Thx 🙂
Water in the meat, perhaps the yoghurt itself.
Thanks for the reply 🙂
I just discovered your blog. FINALLY REAL FOOD I CAN EAT! Thank you so much, Chef Makhija! Rock on!
Thanks, you are too kind 🙂
Hi Sahil,
Thanks for all the great recipes. My husband has just been diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma and he wanted to try the keto diet along with chemo. Your recipes are a savior for me who only knew how to make basic Indian food. You have been an angel in disguise.
Thanks again for your efforts and keep posting new recipes.
How is he now? I will make this tonight.
Just wanted to say… we made this tonight, and it was… AMAZING. My boyfriend and I both took our first bite and said “oh yea.. this is Biryani!”
We had missed Biryani so much, but we won’t miss it after trying and your recipe. We even made a keto Raita with yogurt, cucumber, mint, coriander, and a little curry powder.
Pleas continue doing what you do!
So glad to hear that, thank you!
Hi Sahil, what do you suggest on the water that the chicken creates under the rice? I just kept cooking after popping the lid open after 30 min for an additional 30 min.
Just keep it open from the start then or remove the rice and cook the gravy down. Or you could cook the chicken and add the rice half way through the cooking.
If I just cook the chicken first, and then add the cauliflower halfway through cooking, when do I add the saffron, mint and coriander leaves, kewra, and fried onions? Would I add that when I add the cauliflower?
Yes I would add that to the cauliflower.
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the instruction: Pour some ghee into the biryani handi. Is it pan? I think so. Thanks
Yes it is.
Suggestions for cooking in instant pot?
Where can I find the specialty products? Kewra for example and shahi biryani? Can’t find them and dying to make this
I’ve linked them in the recipe box to the purchase links on amazon
Hi- please clarify if yogurt is ok in keto? It’s been a month I hv been on keto n since day one I hv been told yogurt is a big no! Also tell about tamarind paste 1Tbsp is ok in keto? Please reply both queries.
Yogurt outside India normally refers to these flavoured ones which are full of sugar. In India normal DAHI is fine in limited quantities. If you live outside Indian you want full fat Greek yogurt. Tamrind is best avoided on Keto. Maybe 1 Tsp in a curry that serves 4 people will not be an issue but if you can skip it, then do that.
Recipe looks good , but based on the nutrition info provided by you ,this is not Keto as its high in protein and low in Fats .
Hi Alex, I think you are a bit confused about this because a dish doesn’t need to have a high fat content to be Keto. Your fat can come from adding a tablespoon of olive oil over your serving, drinking a bullet proof coffee in the morning or even having a fat bomb after this meal. Your body will remain in Ketosis after eating this dish, that is what makes it Keto. If you consume more protein through the day and possible go way way way over your daily macros then perhaps you will see an issue with remaining in Ketosis. When your body finds itself short on fat, then it turns to body fat for energy.
Artificial liquid flavor? I think you can do better, do you?!
You can skip it if you want. It’s perfectly safe to use and doesn’t really have any impact on your health if that’s what worries you.
If you have too much liquid bubbling, check the amount of liquid by making a hole on the side of pan, if too much, you spoon a slightly bigger hole, it will fill with the liquid, and you can turn the high heat on over that area and boil away excess liquid, you even get slight crispy cauliflower from this.
Made this today and its absolutely worth the effort. Tastes delicious!
Hi,
Can we make a keto fish biryani? if so can you put up a recipe for that?
Thanks a lot for being a lifesaver and posting such yummy recipes. Rock on!!!
Sounds like a nice idea. I might give it a go.
Hey Sahil,
Instead of dutch pan, can I make it with rice cooker?
I guess you could. I’ve never done it myself so I don’t know.
Hi, I am thinking of making this Biriyani with red meat. but here you have mentioned 1 chicken. may I know how much that chicken weighted? And I would like to request you to make Keto fuchka/ chotpoti/ velpuri.
Thanks in advance.
The chicken I buy is around 1kg-1.2kg.
Hi, is there a possible repalcement for Shahi Biryani liquid, i am struggling to find this in the UK (the link doesn’t load any results for me). How much difference does it make to leave out?
No issue if you skip it.
Is it possilbe ot replace the Shahi Biryani liquid with something else, it is not available in the uk even on amazon. would leaving it out affect the taste a lot?
No you can leave it out no issue.
Really a simple but a delicious recipe!!! Will give it a try on coming weekend!!