Chicken Dum Biryani

Chicken dum biryani is a ever green classic that needs no introduction in parts of countries like Persia, India and many others! Dum biryani is goodness that comes in layers! Layers of rice and meat cooked with it’s own steam pressure until rice is fluffy and meat cooked just to perfection. A lengthy cooking process but all totally worth it!

Ingredients:

For rice

• 2 cups basmati rice (preferably aged rice)
• 2 to 2 ½ litres water
• 1 tsp shahi jeera
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 inch thin cinnamon, 3 green cardamoms, 4 cloves (optional)

For gravy

• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 medium onions sliced thinly
• 1 star anise / chakri phool
• 3 green cardamoms / choti elaichi
• 1 black cardamom (optional) / badi elaichi
• 4 cloves / lavang
• 1 inch cinnamon stick / dalchini
• ½ tsp shahi jeera / caraway seeds
• 1 bay leaf / tej patta
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ kg chicken (500 to 600 grams) (or 1 lb)
• Salt as needed
• 1/8 to ¼ tsp turmeric / haldi
• 1 ½ to 2 tsp biryani masala (or chickn masala)
• ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder / lal mirch powder
• 2 green chilies slit (adjust as needed)
• 1 cup thick fresh curd / dahi / yogurt (do not use sour curd)
• Handful of pudina / mint finely chopped
• Handful of coriander leaves finely chopped

Optional ingredients

• 2 tbsp hot milk with pinch of saffron soaked
• 1 tsp kewra water
• 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Instructions:

Cooking biriyani rice

1. Wash rice few times until the water runs clear. Soak for 30 mins. Drain the water.
2. Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add bay leaf and shahi jeera. You can also add cinnamon stick, cardamoms and cloves. You can also tie these spices in a muslin cloth and add to the pot. It can be discarded later
3. When the water comes to a boil, add salt and drained rice.
4. Cook until it is done al dente. Rice should be firm, grainy and you must feel the bite into the grain when you bite it. Drain it off to a colander.

Making chicken biryani gravy

1. While the rice cooks, Saute onions in hot oil to make fried onions. When they are golden and evenly done, set aside 1/4 of them aside on a kitchen towel.
2. Lower the flame and saute bay leaf, star anise, shahi jeera, cloves, cardamom.
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