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Chicken Biryani (Hyderabadi Dum)
Indian

Chicken Biryani (Hyderabadi Dum)

Hyderabadi dum biryani: marinated chicken layered with par-cooked saffron basmati and fried onions, then sealed and steamed (dum) so the rice cooks in the aromatic meat juices. Fragrant, layered and festive.

100 min
Total time
6
Servings
40 min
Prep
60 min
Cook
advanceddinnergluten-free
Source: Traditional Hyderabadi dum biryani (India)

Ingredients

6 servings
  • 500 g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
  • 1 kg bone-in chicken, cut into pieces
  • 250 g plain yogurt, for marinade
  • 150 g fried onions (birista), divided
  • 45 g ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 green chiles, slit
  • 15 g biryani masala
  • 6 g Kashmiri chili powder
  • 2 g turmeric
  • 0.3 g saffron, soaked in 60 ml warm milk
  • 60 ml warm milk, for saffron
  • 20 g mint leaves, chopped
  • 20 g cilantro, chopped
  • 60 g ghee
  • 1 whole spices (bay, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise), for rice water
  • 30 ml lemon juice
  • 20 g salt, divided, to taste

Make it your way

Instructions

Plan my prep
  1. Step 1.Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chiles, biryani masala, chili powder, turmeric, lemon juice, half the fried onions, half the mint and cilantro, 2 tablespoons ghee and salt. Rest at least 1 hour.
  2. Step 2.Soak the basmati rice 30 minutes, then drain. Boil a large pot of generously salted water with the whole spices.
  3. Step 3.Add the rice and parboil for just 4 to 5 minutes until about 70 percent cooked, still firm in the center, then drain immediately.
  4. Step 4.Spread the marinated chicken in an even layer in the bottom of a heavy pot.
  5. Step 5.Layer the drained rice evenly over the chicken, then scatter the remaining fried onions, mint, cilantro and drizzle the saffron milk and remaining ghee on top.
  6. Step 6.Seal the pot tightly with a lid (or dough seal) to trap all the steam.
  7. Step 7.Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes to get it going, then place on a tawa or heat diffuser and cook on the lowest heat (dum) for 25 minutes.
  8. Step 8.Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, sealed, for another 10 minutes without opening.
  9. Step 9.Open the pot, gently fold from the bottom to mix layers without breaking the rice grains, and serve hot with raita.

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