This classic chicken biryani dish is made by layering a pot with chicken and rice and cooking it in the oven. This “dum” slow fire process enhances the great flavors this dish has to offer and will make it worth the extra effort!
Wash Basmati rice and soak in water for at least 1 hour 
Add chicken, yogurt and spice powders to a bowl 
Mix well and set aside for 1 hour 
Add spices to 12 cups of boiling water 
Add soaked rice, salt and let it cook 
Check if rice is 90% done 
Once cooked, strain out water and set aside 
Saute onions until translucent 
Add marinated chicken 
Add butter if using 
Add chopped cilantro and mint 
Cook until a thick gravy forms 
Add a layer of chicken gravy to the pot 
Layer the rice on top of the gravy 
Repeat layering and then top with fried onions, cilantro and mint 
Cook for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven 
Chicken Dum Biryani
This classic dish is made by layering a pot with chicken and rice and cooking it in the oven. This process enhances the great flavors this dish has to offer and will make it worth the extra effort!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups extra long grain Basmati rice
- 2 large onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 small tomato (chopped) (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 inch cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamom
- 6 cloves
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped) (for biryani)
- 1 tbsp cilantro (chopped) (for topping)
- ¼ cup mint (chopped) (for biryani)
- 1 tbsp mint (chopped) (for topping)
- 2 tbsp fried onions
- 12 cups water (for cooking rice)
For marination:
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (cut into small pieces)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp Biryani masala (I used Shan Biryani Masala)
- 4 inch ginger piece
- 5 garlic cloves
- 6 green chilies
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash Basmati rice and soak in water for at least 1 hour.
- Add ginger, garlic and green chilies to a food processor. Coarsely grind them and set aside.
- Add chicken pieces to a mixing bowl.
- Next, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, biryani masala powder, Kashmiri red chilies, ground ginger, garlic and green chilies, yogurt, lime juice and salt.
- Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
- Add 12 cups of water to a large pan. Let the water start to boil.
- Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, black and green cardamom and cloves to the water.
- Once the water is boiling, add the soaked rice. Make sure the water is bubbling hot when adding the rice.
- Add salt to taste and let the rice cook. The rice should be 90% cooked, this takes around 7-10 minutes, depending on the variety of rice used.
- Once the rice is cooked, drain the water using a strainer and set aside.
- Add oil to a separate pan. Once hot, add onions and saute for a few minutes. The onions should become translucent.
- Add tomatoes, if using, and saute until soft.
- Next, add the marinated chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add butter, if using. This enhances the flavor but is optional. Add the chopped cilantro and mint as well.
- Mix and cook until the chicken is well cooked. The oil should separate at the top of the pan and the gravy will start to thicken. Remove from heat once the gravy becomes thick.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease an oven safe pot and add a layer of chicken to the pot. Spread it out so it covers the entire base of the pot.
- Add a layer of rice to cover the chicken gravy. Repeat the layering process until all rice and chicken gravy is in the pot. The top most layer should be rice.
- Add the friend onions, cilantro and mint over the top layer of rice and cover with a lid.
- Once the oven is preheated, cook the biryani for 20 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the oven and gently mix the biryani.
- Serve hot with raita.
