Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients you’ll need

• 1 lb chicken (with bones is best. Include drumsticks, thighs)
• 3 onions (sliced thin)
• 4 tomatoes (chopped fine)
• 4 green chilies (slit) – adjust according to spice tolerance levels
• 3 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tablespoon red chili powder (adjust to spice tolerance levels)
• 2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ½ cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• ½ cup mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cloves
• 1 star anise
• Salt to taste
• 1 to 2 drops orange food grade color (optional)

For rice

• 4 cups basmati rice (long grain rice)
• 4 liter water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon salt

For chicken marinade

• 2 teaspoon yogurt
• ½ cup fried onion (also called barista)
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 green chili slit
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 teaspoon coriander leaves (chopped)
• 2 teaspoon mint leaves (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

How to make chicken biryani?

1. Cook basmati rice: Rinse rice gently ensuring to take out only starch and not break the grains 2 to 3 times. Soak basmati rice in water for about 10 minutes. Mean boil about 2 to3 liters (1 gallon) of water in large deep bottomed pot. Add about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add rinsed rice, stir gently once and cook until rice is ¾th cooked – don’t fully cook rice(I usually take it off heat by 3 ½ minutes). Keep an eye on rice as some brands of basmati rice cooks very fast and some takes time. It took 3.5 minutes for rice to be ¾th done. Drain the water immediately and spread the rice on a large plate.
2. Marinate chicken in ingredients mentioned in the list. Marinate chicken overnight in fridge for best results. If you don’t have time, you can let it marinate for at least 45 minutes.
3. Heat oil and ghee in deep bottomed pan. Saute onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger garlic paste and rest of the ingredients mentioned in the list. Add marinated chicken and cook. You want to cook chicken until it’s half done.
4. Finally make layers of rice and chicken (at least 2 layers of rice and chicken) sprinkle with fresh coriander and mint leaves. Seal the pan with lid using dough( to make tight seal). Reduce flame to low and cook it in dum for at least 10-15 minutes.
5. To serve gently scoop out biryani from the pan from the bottom, so you get layers of rice and meat along with all the wonderful masalas. Best served with cool refreshing raita.

Expert tips to make chicken dum biryani

1. Use long grain rice (basmati rice) for making chicken dum biryani.
2. Rinse rice and soak it for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. It helps cook rice perfectly.
3. Use chicken with bones for great flavors. Boneless chicken will result in dry and tough chicken.
4. Marinate chicken in all the spices for at least 4 to6 hours. Marinating it overnight in refrigerator would yield tasty chicken biryani.
5. Don’t skip on fresh coriander and mint leaves. Fresh herbs adds tons of flavor to the biryani.