Dum Biryani - Chicken

Dum Biryani is made in different ways in different houses. The taste of cooking it in handi over coal is difficult to get. Over the years, different and easy variations have come up. This is my version of Dum Biryani.



Ingredients :
Chicken : 500 grams
Basmati Rice : 2 Cups
Onions : 2 Sliced
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Bay Leaves : 3-4
Cloves : 10
Cinnamon : 3 inch
Star Anise : 1
Peppercorns : 10
Green Cardamom : 5 Only Seeds
Nutmeg : 1
Mace : 1
Salt : To Taste
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp
Oil : 6-8 tbsp
Coriander Leaves to Garnish
Ghee to garnish
Saffron : Few Strands (optional) Soaked in water / milk

For The Marinate :
Curd : 1 cup
Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Tandoori Masala : 1 tsp



Recipe :
Marinate chicken with all the ingredients of marination for a hour or more. I like to marinate it in the refrigerator.

Soak rice for 20 minutes. Then boil the rice till its 3/4th cooked. Don't overcook. Take 1/3rd rice and add the saffron water and mix well.

Heat oil in a handi or pan. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, peppercorns and star anise. Let them splutter. Now add the onions. Saute till golden brown. Now put the salt, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Add the chicken along with the marinate. Lower the flame. Cook till the water in curd dries up and it leaves oil. By now chicken should be 3/4 cooked. If its not, then add little water and cook till chicken is atleast 3/4th done.




Remove from flame. Empty the chicken in some other vessel.

Now take the same handi / pan. Add few drops of ghee to the bottom. Make a layer of 1/3rd of the rice. Sprinkle few more drops of ghee and little coriander leaves. Make a layer of half of the chicken. Now add the layer of the saffron coloured rice. Again sprinkle few drops of ghee and coriander leaves. Make a layer of chicken. Now put the last layer of rice. Cover with aluminium foil. Cover the edges with dough to seal completely. Keep a lid on top and keep something heavy on it. I like to cover with a steel plate and then keep my rolling board for chapati on it.

Keep it on a very low flame and cook for around 15-20 minutes. Serve hot. I like to serve with Onion Raita.

Sending this to the event "Dish Name Starts With D" by Akhila of Learning To Cook.