Chicken dum biryani recipe can be prepared in two ways, kacha (kachi) Method and Pakki Method. In the Kachi method of making biriyani, the raw ingredients are just marinated and placed at the bottom of a utensil and layered with partially cooked rice, saffron etc. Sealed & cooked on a slow dum process, trapping the steam inside for even cooking. You can find one such Kachi hyderabadi biryani  here that I shared earlier. Pakki is the other method where the meat and rice are cooked separately and then the rice, saffron etc are layered, sealed and cooked on a dum process for a shorter time. In this post I am sharing the second method of making i.e the pakki chicken dum biryani recipe made in hyderabadi style. This recipe yields very aromatic biryani rice with delicious, soft tender & succulent chicken with bursting flavors. Serving suggestion : Chicken biryani is served with a raita and shorba. You can find raita recipes here and shorva or biryani gravy recipes here. You can also check this Quick Chicken biryani in cooker.

How to make Chicken Dum Biryani (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

  1. Wash rice few times till the water runs clear. Soak in ample amount of water for 30 mins. Drain and set aside.
  2. Bring 2 to 2 ½ liters water to a boil in a pot or a cooker. Add bay leaf and shahi jeera. You can also use cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. If you do not like to get a bite of the spices in the rice, you can also tie these in a muslin cloth and add to the pot.
  3. Meanwhile, Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a biryani pot , handi or pan. Add sliced onions and fry evenly until golden.
  4. These onions lend a unique and authentic flavor, so do not skip these. 5. When they turn dark brown, set aside  ¼ portion of these fried onions.
  5. When the water comes to a boil, add salt and drained rice and cook until al dente or 90 % done.

Make Gravy

  1. While the rice cooks, let us make the chicken ready. To the rest of the onions, add 1 small bay leaf, star anise, ½ tsp shahi jeera, 3 cardamoms, 4 cloves. Saute just for a min without burning.
  2. Add 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste.
  3. Saute on a medium flame until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off.
  4. Add chicken.
  5.  Saute for 2 to 3 mins until the chicken turns white in color. Sprinkle salt.
  6. Add biryani masala, red chili powder, turmeric and green chilies. I use this homemade biryani masala. Just a reminder about the rice, do check it.
  7. Mix everything well and fry for 3 mins. After that cover and cook on a low flame for 3 to 4 mins for the chicken to release the moisture.
  8. Add 1 cup thick curd / yogurt.
  9. Stir, cover and cook on a medium flame until chicken is soft and tender.
  10. While the chicken cooks, check the rice. Drain off the rice to a colander when cooked to al dente. The rice must be 90 % cooked meaning you must feel the bite when you bite through a rice grain. Rice should be firm and grainy but not mushy.
  11. When the chicken is cooked completely, a thick gravy is left in the pot with oil separated. Check the salt now and add more if needed. Stir well and sprinkle chopped coriander and pudina leaves.

Layer Chicken Dum Biryani

  1. Layer the rice over the chicken gravy. Sprinkle fried onions, pudina and coriander leaves. You can also add the optional ingredients – pour the saffron soaked milk, ghee and kewra water evenly. For multilayer check the recipe card below.
  2. Cover the pot with a foil or a thick clean moist cloth.
  3. Cover with a air tight lid to trap the steam or dum. If you do not have a tight lid then you can place a heavy pot over the lid. You can mix 1 ½ cups atta with water and make a dough. Stick the dough to the rim of the lid. Press it off on to the pot, for a air tight seal. Place this pot on a hot tawa and cook for about 12 to 15 mins on a medium heat. Once done switch off and allow to rest for at least 20 mins.
  4. Aromatic hyderanbadi chicken dum biriyani is ready. Serve hot or warm with raita and shorva. Related Recipes