Chicken Biryani | Chicken Dum Biryani | Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani is the most popular Mughlai rice dish. This rice is also well known as “Chicken Dum Biryani”, “Murgh Dum Biryani”, and “Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani”.
What’s more, the technique of preparing biryani is very unique. The preparation includes many layers of rice and spicy chicken curry. The Indians prepared Biryani in a large pot. Although it is famous in most parts of India, Mughals introduced it to Indians.
As well, Indians consider Murgh Dum Biryani as one of the royal foods. This is because it contains rich ingredients. There is a whole process that goes into preparing this savory and authentic dish.
Besides, Hyderabadi Style Chicken Biryani is also a luxury food for special occasions. This special biryani goes well with an onion-yogurt salad known as Raita. It also goes well with a spicy gravy known as Mirchi Ka Salan on the side.
Furthermore, Biryani derives from the Persian word “Birian” which means fried before cooking. And from the word “Birinj” meaning rice. It is a preparation of half-cooked basmati rice, whole spices, saffron, caramelized onions, and chicken curry.
Moreover, this Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani recipe is very simple. At the same time, it is easy to follow. This rice is a good main course for family dinners, parties and gatherings. I hope you enjoy cooking this amazing spicy chicken biryani for your loved ones.
Additionally, you can look at my other related collections – Lunch/Dinner and Chicken which include Butter Chicken, Dal Tadka, Paneer Bhurji, Paneer Capsicum Masala, and Vegetable Pulao.
Recipe Card for Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani | Chicken Dum Biryani | Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
Course: Lunch/Dinner, Main CourseCuisine: Indian, Mughlai, HyderabadiServings
6
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesMarination time
10
hoursTotal time
1
hour10
minutesHyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is a spicy rice dish famous in most Indian restaurants and throughout the world.
Ingredients
- Chicken Marination
250 gms of chicken
1/2 large diced fried (caramelized) onion
1 cup curd (yogurt)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons of red chilli powder
1 teaspoon biryani masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
3 slit green chillies
Salt to taste
- Chicken Biryani
3 cups of soaked basmati rice
Water
Marinated Chicken
3-4 tablespoons of ghee
4 tablespoons of oil
2 medium diced onion
1 teaspoon black cumin (shah jeera)
2 bay leaves (tej patta)
4 cardamom
1 star anise (badam phool)
4 cloves
1 pinch of yellow food color
1 pinch of red food color
1 pinch of saffron strands
4 tablespoons of milk
1/2 large diced fried (caramelized) onion
7-8 fried (caramelized) cashews
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Wheat (Chapati) dough (optional)
Salt to taste
Directions
- Chicken Marination
- Take all the marination ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients well and marinate the chicken overnight.
- Chicken Dum Biryani
- Boil 5 cups of water in a bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee and 1 tablespoon oil in a pot.
- Add 1 medium diced onion, black cumin (shah jeera), bay leaves (tej patta), cardamom, star anise (badam phool), and cloves. Let the onion turn golden brown.
- Now add salt to taste and the soaked basmati rice.
- Mix the rice well with the spices.
- Add boiled water and let the rice cook.
- Close the lid and let it cook at low flame for 10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot.
- Add 1 medium diced onion and saute until it turns golden brown.
- Then add 1 medium chopped tomato and saute until the juice comes out.
- Now add the marinated chicken and let it cook until the chicken pieces are tender and almost 90% cooked.
- Take out 50% of cooked chicken curry in a separate bowl.
- Add one layer of cooked basmati rice on the top of the remaining 50% of the chicken curry.
- Add 2 tablespoons of milk in two separate little bowls. In one bowl add yellow food color and saffron (kesar) and mix well. Then in the other bowl add red food color and mix well.
- After adding a layer of rice, add some of these two colors diagonal to each other. Add 1 teaspoon of ghee and then a layer of the remaining 50% chicken curry.
- Next, add another layer of rice, add the rest of the food colors diagonal to each other or any manner you like. Add fried onion, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, 5-6 fried cashews, and 1 teaspoon of ghee.
- Close the lid of the pot and place a weight on the lid so that no air enters inside. You can also stick chapati dough surrounding the lid edges. Let the biryani cook on low flame for about 15 minutes.
- Open the lid, Chicken Dum Biryani is ready. Serve it with Raita and Mirchi ka salan.
Notes
- There are varieties of basmati rice in the world. Some require less water to cook and some require more. So adjust the measurements of water as per the basmati rice you’re using.
- Do not add more than one pinch of both food colors. Too much of it might ruin the taste of the biryani.
- Food color is not mandatory as it’s simply for decoration purposes. The taste of biryani is still good. But make sure you add a pinch of saffron. This gives flavor to the biryani.
- In the marination, you can also add some pumpkin powder. I did not add it because the biryani masala that I used already has pumpkin powder in it.
- To give that authentic aromatic flavor to the biryani, you can also add kewra water and rose water if available. Add 1 teaspoon of each after every rice layer. Make sure you don’t add too much of it, else your biryani will taste bitter.
- Keep the marinated chicken in the freezer. This will make the chicken tender and cooks fast.
- If you don’t have time to marinate the chicken overnight, you can marinate the chicken for one hour. Keep it in the freezer.
How to make Chicken Dum Biryani step-by-step?
Chicken Marination
Step 1: Deep fry 1 large diced onion and keep it aside.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup curd (yogurt), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, salt to taste, 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder.
Step 3: Then add 1 teaspoon biryani masala, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, and 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
Step 4: Now add 1 cup chopped mint leaves, 1 cup chopped coriander leaves, 3 slit green chillies, and ½ fried onion.
Step 5: Mix all the ingredients well. Add 250 gms chicken to the marination ingredients. Mix the chicken well and marinate it overnight.
Chicken Dum Biryani
Step 1: Soak 3 cups of basmati rice for an hour and rinse it well.
Step 2: Boil 5 cups of water in a bowl.
Step 3: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee and 1 tablespoon oil in a pot.
Step 4: Add 1 medium diced onion, 1 teaspoon black cumin (shah jeera), 2 bay leaves (tej patta), 4 cardamom, 1 star anise (badam phool), and 4 cloves. Let the onion turn golden brown.
Step 5: Then add salt to taste and the soaked basmati rice.
Step 6: Mix the rice well with the spices.
Step 7: Add boiled water and let the rice cook.
Step 8: Close the lid and let it cook at low flame for 10 minutes.
Step 9: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot.
Step 10: Add 1 medium diced onion and saute until it turns golden brown.
Step 11: Add 1 medium chopped tomato and saute until the juice comes out.
Step 12: Add the marinated chicken and let it cook until the chicken pieces are tender and almost 90% cooked.
Step 13: Take out 50% of cooked chicken curry in a separate bowl.
Step 14: Add one layer of cooked basmati rice on the top of the remaining 50% of the chicken curry.
Step 15: Next add 2 tablespoons of milk in two separate little bowls. In one bowl add yellow food color and saffron (kesar) and mix well. Then in the other bowl add red food color and mix well.
Step 16: After adding a layer of rice, add some of these two colors diagonal to each other. Then add 1 teaspoon of ghee and then a layer of the remaining 50% chicken curry.
Step 17: Now add another layer of rice, then the rest of the food colors diagonal to each other or any manner you like. Next add 1/2 large fried onion, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, 5-6 fried cashews, and 1 teaspoon of ghee.
Step 18: Close the lid of the pot and place a weight on the lid so that no air enters inside. You can also stick chapati dough surrounding the lid edges. Let the biryani cook on low flame for about 15 minutes.
Step 19: Open the lid, Chicken Dum Biryani is ready. Serve it with Raita and Mirchi ka salan.
