Chicken Dum Biryani

Chicken Biryani is one of the most liked dishes through out India. There are several varieties of Biryani depending of the region you are in. It would be a surprise if one could not find this dish in restaurant menu across India. Here I have the recipe for Chicken Dum Biryani which is an elaborate method but you wont be dissapointed by the result. This recipe brings out more North Indian or Middle east (Arabian) type flovours. For cooking enthusiasts which could not spend so much time on a biryani I have another recipe where the cooking time is less than half of this one but with some compromises.

Marination: 4 hrs

Prep & Cooking: 1 hr

Serves 6-7 persons

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Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely.

2 large onions, Jullians.

2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves.

1 tsp saffron.

1/2 cup warm milk.

Salt to taste

2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil.

For marination:

3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt.

8-10 green chillis,with slits.

1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste.

1 tbsp red chilli powder as needed.

1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

3/4 tbsp coriander powder.

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves.

3/4 cup pudina leaves.

Lemon Juice of 1 lemon.

1 3/4 tsps salt.

Biryani masala, make powder by grinding. I prefer hand ground.

8 cloves.

1″ cinnamon stick.

4 cardamom.

3/4 tsp shah jeera.

12 pepper corns.

Poppy seeds as desired.

Ingredients to cook rice:

4 cups Basmati rice.

6 cloves.

3 cardamoms.

1″ cinnamon stick.

3 bay leaves.

1 marathi mogga.

1 star anise.

10 mint leaves.

1 tbsp oil.

1 1/2 tbsps salt.

water as required.

1. Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala powder. Keep aside for 4 hrs. While the chicken is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation. For those short of time, 1h is also fine for marination. However If there is time I would recommend 4h of marination as the chicken would fully absorb all the flavours from spices.

2. Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, oil, salt till its half cooked. This is critical and you have to have a close watch on the rice grain. Extra cooking will will make your rice lumpy. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.

4. Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.

5. Take a wide deep vessel preferably non stick to prepare the biryani. We add onion and tomato here with biryani masala (I personally like Eastern Biryani masala). Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.

6. Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramalized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.

7. Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mts. Remove the vessel from the stove and place a iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 mts. I have seen biryanis cook burried under the hot sand in middle east dessert. The slower it cooks the more flavour you squeeze out.

8. After 10 minutes, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

Tbsp: Table spoon. Tsp: Tea spoon.