Restaurant style Hyderabadi chicken biriyani is easy and quick to make at home, and you can enjoy Hyderabadi chicken dum biriyani right in the comfort of your home this Bakrid. Hyderabadi dum biriyani is one of the most sought after dish in India. Personally, I love biriyanis and I am always trying out with variations, right from the first time I posted pressure cooker chicken biriyani, around four years ago.

Last time we visited Hyderabad, I was introduced to a wonderful chef; who served us Shrimp Biriyani which I had shared last year; many of you tried it and was happy with the recipe, at that time I mentioned in the post that; I will post Hyderabadi chicken biriyani soon, and though I have been making this at home often; the thought of posting it here was long forgotten until a good friend reminded me about it. 

This is one of the easiest Hyderabadi chicken dum biriyani recipe and you just dont have to visit a restaurant to have it or you can surprise your loved ones with this easy one pot meal.

To make dum biriyani, one main thing to be noted is you should only half cook the rice. What I do is I put the pot to cook the rice first and by the time the marinated chicken is spread out in the pan the rice would be half cooked and I just strain and top it on the chicken which already has started heating up.

Since the chicken is marinated with yogurt the chicken will be tender and cooks up very fast, also you can preplan and fry up some onions and keep in a container; fried onions are a must in Hyderabadi biriyani.

Shahi jeera is an important spice for Hyderabadi biriyani, please try to use it to get that authentic taste.

I hope my step by step recipes will help you in making this  yummy and easy biriyani.

Easy Step By Step Method:
Serves: 6
Fry the onions, its the one difference from other biriyani like Malabar fish biriyani etc. The best thing is you can fry the onions ahead (cool and store in an air tight container) I make large quantities and store them up....easy peasy! You can also prepare this a day before, which will definitely make everything more easier for you.

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients under "to marinate". This can also be done a day earlier and can be refrigerated overnight; which is best for this recipe. Marinated in curd/yogurt makes the chicken tender and helps to cook it pretty fast, which makes "dum" more easier and tastier. It is best to marinate it atleast 4 hours. Mix this thoroughly.

Now lets start making the biriyani. I generally put the "spices for the rice" in a pot/kalam with water and salt and heat it up.

Meanwhile, in the next burner, place a wide bottomed vessel (if you have your grandmothers copper vessel, then awesome! and I envy you.) and spread out the marinated chicken, mix in the fried onions (keep aside little for garnishing) . I also sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and two bay leaves. (I am addicted to spices). Now, switch on the fire to the lowest flame.

Dont forget that we have put the water for the rice in the other burner, which already has boiled,  add the cleaned and strained rice grains. Once the rice is half cooked; (take out one or two grains and press with fingers or pop in your mouth and bite (its hot, so mind that) ...it should feel a bit grainy in the middle when you bite. Or look closer at this pic....half cooked rice :) I used my ladle (with holes) to strain half the rice (for the other half, I poured it into a strainer) and put it over the marinated chicken.

Spread it out on top of the chicken; what I generally do is take out half of the chicken on to a plate and put half of the rice on top, sprinkle with fried onion, drizzle a bit of ghee, and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Then, I put back the chicken and again sprinkle fried onion, drizzle ghee, and sprinkle chopped coriander and mint leaves. Top it with the rest of the rice and again sprinkle fried onion, ghee, and coriander leaves.

Lastly, sprinkle a bit of safforn infused milk (yum). Cover with a tight lid and simmer for 20-30 minutes...(lowest possible flame).
P.S: I ran out of nuts and raisins so I did not use here; but lets pretend that I used them here :)

Open, and inhale! oh! boy! this will take you to biriyani heaven! or to Hyderabad.

Serve hot!

I told you its easy! Serve with curd raita and papad and enjoy the family bliss.

Restaurant Style Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

PREP TIME: 15 min    |  COOK TIME: 30 mins    |  AUTHOR:: NISA HOMEY

   

  INGREDIENTS

• Chicken: 3/4 kg, cut into medium pieces.
• Onion: 4 or 2 cups fried onions.
• TO MARINATE:
• Curd: 3/4 cup
• Kashmiri Chili Powder: 2 tsp.
• Organic Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp.
• Garam Masala: 1 1/2tsp.
• Cardamon: 7.
• Cloves: 5.
• Mace: 1/2
• Cinnamon: 1 inch.
• Shahi Jeera: 1/2 tsp.
• Saunf/Perumjeera: 1/2 tsp (optional).
• Juice of one lemon.
• Green Paste: Grind coarsely, 2 inch ginger, 3 pods garlic, handful of coriander leaves, 3 springs of mint leaves, 2 to 3 green chilies.
• Salt: 1 tsp.
• Star anise: 1.
• Oil or ghee: 2 tbsp.
• TO COOK RICE
• Water: 4 liters or as needed (I generally fill up my pot and allow it to boil).
• Shahi Jeera: 3/4 tsp.
• Mace: 1/2
• Cinnamon: 1 inch.
• Cardamon: 4.
• Cloves: 5.
• Basmati Rice: 2 1/2 cups.
• Salt: 1 tsp or as needed.
• EXTRA:
• A fat pinch of saffrom mixed with 1/3 cup of milk.
• Fried rasins, cashewnuts, and alomonds: 1 tbsp each (optional).
• Extra Ghee To Drizzle.
• Oil for frying onions.
• Bay leaves: 2 small or 1 large
• Chopped mint and coriander leaves and some fried onions to garnish

  METHOD:

1. Fry onions in oil, I used my cast iron kadai as it speeds up the frying process. Keep aside some fried onions for garnish..
2. Add all the ingredients under "to marinate" into the chicken and mix nicely, it is best to keep in fridge overnight or atleast 4 hours.
3. Wash and clean the rice and keep it on a strainer.
4. Heat a pot/kalam with water, add in shahi jeera, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and salt. Bring it to boil. Add in the cleaned and strained rice.
5. Heat a deep bottomed flat pan, spread the marinated chicken, fried onions (keep aside a little for garnishing, add in the bay leaves and sprinkle some coriander and mint leaves. Put the flame to the lowest.
6. Meanwhile, the rice must be half cooked, strain it and layer on top of the marinated chicken. I like to make two layer dum; so, I remove half the chicken and spread half the rice and repeat.
7. Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves, fried onion and drizzle ghee on each layer.
8. Lastly sprinkle saffron infused milk on top of the rice.
9. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
10. Let it cook on slow flame for 20-30 minutes.
11. Serve hot.

NOTES

• 3/4 of the fried onions are to be added in the marinated chicken, the rest of the fried onions are for garnishing.
• You can also seal the pan with wheat dough if you do not have a tight lid or can use aluminum foil.
• To make safforin infused milk; just sprinkle a few strands of saffron in 1/3 cup of warm milk and let it stand.
• Fried onions is now available in the market; though I prefer to make at home.
• Note that tomatoes are not used in this recipe. You can also half cook the chicken before layering the rice, though for large quantities it is best have just two layers (chicken masala in the bottom and rice on top). I did not use any fried nuts simply because I ran out of it; if you have them, use lavishly.

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