Flavors of Hyderabad: Chicken Dum Biryani – A Fragrant and Spicy Delight

Prep Time: 60 minutes.

Cook time: 60 minutes

Total time: 120 minutes

Servings: 4

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is a popular and flavorful biryani preparation that originated in the city of Hyderabad, India. It is a delicious one-pot dish made with aromatic basmati rice, marinated chicken, and a blend of exotic spices. The dish is known for its unique cooking technique called “dum,” where the biryani is slow-cooked in a sealed pot, allowing the flavors to meld and the ingredients to cook in their own steam.

Here’s a brief overview of the key components:

1. Marination: Chicken pieces are marinated in a mixture of yogurt and a blend of spices like ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and garam masala. This helps in infusing the chicken with rich flavors.
2. Rice Preparation: Basmati rice is soaked, partially cooked, and then layered with the marinated chicken in the final cooking stage. The rice is usually flavored with whole spices like bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon.
3. Biryani Masala: Onions are sliced and fried until golden brown, creating a flavorful base. Chopped tomatoes and a blend of aromatic herbs such as mint and coriander leaves are added to create a fragrant biryani masala.
4. Layering: The partially cooked rice and marinated chicken are layered alternately in a heavy-bottomed pot. The layers are topped with fried onions, saffron-soaked milk, and a drizzle of ghee.
5. Dum Cooking: The pot is sealed tightly with a lid or aluminum foil, and the biryani is slow-cooked on low heat. This dum cooking method allows the flavors to meld, and the biryani to absorb the aroma of the spices.
6. Serving: Once done, the layers are gently mixed before serving. Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is often garnished with fresh coriander leaves and served with raita (yogurt-based side dish) or a simple salad.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani is known for its rich and aromatic taste, and it’s a favorite among biryani enthusiasts. The dish has many variations, and different households may have their own unique recipes and methods of preparation.

Let us make Chicken biryani @ hyderabadi style today!

Ingredients:

Chicken – 500 Gram

Basmati Rice – 500 Gram

Oil – for frying the Onion

For marinating

Onion – 3 Big (Cut and fry until it become crispy)

Curd – 200 ml

Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder – 1 Tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 Tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ½

Salt – 1 ½ tsp (add it based on your taste)

Coriander leaves – small bunch

Mint leaves – small bunch

Garam masala – 1tsp

Green Chili – 5 (Cut it in to small pieces)

Lemon Juice – 2 tsp

Ghee – 3 Tsp

Preparation Method: Step by Step

• Marinate the Chicken with all the ingredients mentioned and keep it aside for about 1 hour.
• Wash about 3-4 times and soak Basmati rice for one hour.

Preparing Chicken.

• Heat a pan and add about 5 tsp of oil, (You can use the same oil which used for frying the onion)

• Add the marinated chicken once it is hot.
• Place it in a high flame for about 5 mts and lower the flame.
• Close the lid and cook until the chicken is about 80-90%. This takes about 20-30 minutes.
• Check in between, add hot water if required, and cook until it becomes thick gravy.
• Switch off the flame, keep this aside till we prepare the rice.

Rice Preparation

• Strain the soaked rice and keep it aside.
• Boil about 2-3 litres of water.
• Add salt, 1tsp oil, ½ tsp caraway seeds, Cinnamon sticks 3-4 small, clove-5 , Green cardamom -2 and mix it.
• Check the salt and adjust if required.
• When water start boiling add the soaked rice and mix it
• Cook the rice till 70-80%, takes about 5-10 minutes
• Strain the water.

Biryani mixing (Making Dum)

• In a Vessel add about 2 tsp ghee and spread it.
• Add first layer of rice, use about 30% of the rice.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces on top of this layer.
• Add the remaining rice on top of it.
• Top of this add little mint leaves, coriander leaves, fried onion and little Garam masala powder.
•  Add little ghee on top.
• Place aluminium foil on top of the vessel and close the lid.
• Switch on the flame and place this vessel on top.
• Cook for about 20 minutes without opening under low flame.

Very hot Hyderabadi Chicken Dum biryani ready for serving. Have it along with raita and enjoy!

Suggestions

• You can use a cloth instead of aluminium foil, but be careful not to catch fire.
• Saffron milk mixture can be added while preparing the dum, which gives a good texture to the rice.
• Add more green chilies if you like good spice.
• Marinating and refrigerating the chicken overnight gives it more taste.
• You can make multiple layers for Dum.

Publish Date: 21st Sep, 2020 20:46