Chicken dum biryani is prepared by layering marinated chicken with partly cooked rice and letting everything cook slowly under steam. The flavour spreads through the dish as the chicken releases its juices and the rice absorbs the aroma of the spices. It becomes a complete meal that works well for gatherings because the taste stays steady and rich.
Chicken dum biryani is made in stages, and each stage has its own role in building the flavour. The chicken is mixed with curd, ginger-garlic paste and spices, and resting it for some time helps the pieces become soft when cooked. The marinade needs enough curd and spices so the chicken holds flavour on the inside too. When the chicken is placed at the bottom of the pot later, it cooks slowly in its own juices and does not dry out.
The rice is rinsed and soaked before cooking so the grains become long and light. It is cooked only halfway because the remaining cooking happens on dum. The rice must stay firm at this stage because soft rice breaks easily during layering. When you place the rice on the chicken, it traps steam and takes in the smell of the whole spices and fried onions.
The dum stage is the most important part. Once the pot is sealed, the heat needs to stay low and steady so the chicken cooks slowly without burning. The steam rises from the bottom and cooks the rice slowly,
Read MoreClean the chicken and place it in a bowl. Add curd, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt, oil, mint, coriander and green chillies. Mix well so the chicken coats evenly and rest it for at least 30 minutes so it absorbs all flavours.
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and soak it for 20 minutes. Bring water to a boil with bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, and then add the rice. Cook the rice only halfway so it stays firm and does not break later.
Place the marinated chicken at the bottom of a deep handi or pot. Spread it out gently so the pieces cook evenly when the dum begins.
Add the half-cooked rice on top in a light layer. Add fried onions, saffron milk and ghee over the rice so the colour and smell spread through the pot while cooking.
Seal the pot with a lid or dough to trap the steam inside. This step is important because the chicken needs the rising steam to cook slowly without direct heat.
Cook on the lowest flame until the chicken softens and the rice becomes fully cooked. Try not to open the pot during this stage because losing steam will affect the texture.
Let the biryani rest for a few minutes after turning off the heat. Open the pot gently and serve the biryani in layers so the rice and chicken stay separate.
Yes, you can use boneless chicken, but bone-in pieces give more flavour during the dum. Boneless pieces cook faster, so keep an eye on them.
It may have cooked more than halfway before layering. The rice must stay firm at the halfway stage because it finishes cooking in dum.
Keep the flame at the lowest setting and use a heavy-bottom pot. Slow heat helps the steam cook the biryani instead of direct heat.
Yes, potatoes work well. Place large pieces along with the chicken so they cook together at the same pace.
It may need a little more moisture. You can sprinkle a small amount of warm milk or ghee before sealing the pot next time.
Yes, biryani stays warm for some time. Let it rest after dum and close the lid until serving so it does not dry out.
The spices may not have been enough in the marinade. Adding enough curd, salt and masala helps the flavour spread well.
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