Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe
Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe features a one-pot dish showcasing fragrant Basmati rice cooked in layers of marinated spicy chicken and herbs. Tender chunks of chicken are marinated in an array of spices and yogurt and partially cooked to a thick sauce. Basmati rice is partially cooked with whole spices that deeply infuse the grain for a rich flavor. Layers of fragrant rice, drizzles of saffron milk, spicy chicken cooked in coconut milk, caramelized onions, and fresh herbs cooked in a clay pot using the "dum" or dough-sealed, slow-cooking method help the flavors to meld perfectly. The resulting dish is a harmonious balance of earthiness and fragrance. Every spoonful of this comforting dish is a delicious journey of richness, spices, and warmth when served with raita and a hard-boiled egg!
Equipment
- Clay pot or Dutch oven (stovetop)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup water as needed
- a pinch salt
For the chicken marinade:
- 3½ lb whole chicken cut
- 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste peeled, chopped
- 4 tbsp roasted cashew nut powdered
- 4 tbsp yogurt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tsp red chili powder
- 2½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp garam masala powder
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp salt
For the dum biriyani:
- 1 tsp shah jeera
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- 5 onion sliced
- 1 tsp saffron
- 4 tbsp milk
- 4 cup low GI Basmati rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cinnamon
- 2 bay leaf
- 3 mace
- 2 black cardamom
- 3 green cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 5 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 tbsp kewra water
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup mint chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Soak the saffron in warm milk. Wash the rice in cold water, soak it for 3-4 minutes and drain it.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients. Knead the dough and set aside.
- Grind the ingredients for the marinade in a spice grinder. Marinate the cleaned chicken for 6 hours or overnight. In a Dutch oven or pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee. Add the shah jeera to temper it. Add the chicken with the marinade and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until it thickens. Set it aside.
- Sauté the sliced onions in a clay pot or Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Caramelize the onions by sautéing for 5-7 minutes or until caramelized. Keep most of the onions aside for layering the biryani and reserve some for garnish.
- Boil 12 cups of water in another pot. Add the washed and soaked basmati rice with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, mace, black and green cardamom, salt, and a teaspoon of sesame oil. Boil the rice until it is only 75% cooked or partially cooked for 4 minutes. The rice must be grainy to the touch. Drain the rice using a sieve and set it aside.
How to layer the Chicken Dum Biryani:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Start layering the Chicken Briyani using a third of the drained rice in the large clay pot. Drizzle a third of the ghee, saffron milk, kewra water, and the partially cooked chicken with the thickened sauce. Sprinkle some caramelized onions, fresh cilantro, and mint. Repeat this step three times and finally, top with caramelized onions, mint, and cilantro.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to a disc that is an inch larger in diameter than the clay pot's rim. Place the disc on the pot's rim and seal the clay pot. Press and seal the overhanging dough to the clay pot. Bake at 350 degrees F on low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the dough is golden brown. Remove the clay pot from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Cut open the dough lid with a sharp knife. Serve from the bottom up with raita and a hard-boiled egg.
Notes
- Adjust the size of the dough disc to the rim of the pot you use.
- The dum biryani must be layered and cooked, so do not mix it before cooking.
- To serve this dish, scoop from the bottom up, ensuring you get layers of chicken, rice, and onions.
- Place the sealed clay pot in the center rack of the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 24gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 960mgPotassium: 541mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 564IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 4mg
