CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI

Chicken Dum Biryani is goodness of rice and meat that comes in layers! The beautifully spiced and fragrant layers of biryani rice centered with juicy, tender meat and spices is pure bliss! . This one is for all the Biryani lovers.

This was my family's christmas lunch🧑‍🎄🎄☃️❄️.

Ingredients:

For Rice

· Basmati rice (soaked) – ½ kg

· Water – 3 litres

· Salt as required

· Slit Green chilli – 1-2 nos.

· Ghee - 1 tbsp

· Shahi jeera – 1 tsp

· Bay leaves – 2

· Cloves – 4-5

· Green Cardamom – 2 nos.

· Black Cardamom – 2 nos.

· Cinnamon – 2-3 small pieces

· Star Anise - 1

For Marination

· Chicken – 500 gms

· Salt to taste

· Lemon (juice of 1 lemon)

· Ginger Garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp

· Green Chili paste – 1 tsp

· Red Chilli powder – 2 tbsp

· Turmeric powder– 1 tsp

· Coriander powder – 2 tsp

· Biryani Masala – 1.5 tbsp

· Curd – 1 cup

· Coriander leaves – ¾ cup

· Mint leaves – ¼ cup

· Browned onion – ¾ cup (Deep fried onions)

· Slit green chilies – 2-3

· Oil/ Ghee – 4 tbsp (for marination)

· Oil/ Ghee – 4 tbsp (for cooking the chicken)

For Layering

· Coriander leaves – handful

· Mint leaves - handful

· Fried onions – ½ cup

· Ghee – 2 tbsp

· Strands of saffron – dissolved in ½ cup milk

Method:

For the rice

· Wash and soak Basmati Rice for half an hour in water.

· In a large vessel add sufficient water to cook the rice, add salt, ghee, slit green chilies, shahi jeera, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, black cardamom and star anise.

· Let the water boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

· Now add the soaked rice to the boiling water.

· Cook the rice on high flame for 10-12 minutes.

· Once it is done, drain the rice.

· Spread the rice over a large size plate and cool down to room temperature.

For Marination

· Take a mixing bowl, add the chicken pieces, further add all the remaining ingredients of marinade, mix well and keep it marinated for at least 1 hour.

For cooking the chicken:

· Set a kadhai on medium heat, add ghee and the marinated chicken, stir and cook the chicken until it starts to bubble, cover and cook at this stage.

· Once the curd leaves oil, this might take about 10-12 minutes, turn off the flame once the chicken has cooked well.

· Remove it in a bowl.

For Layering

· Rice and chicken gravy are ready to be layered.

· In a pan, spread a layer of cooked rice, then add freshly chopped mint & coriander leaves, some fried onions and pour some saffron infused milk.

· Now, over the rice, spread a layer of cooked chicken along with its masala, repeat the addition of fresh coriander, mint leaves and fried onions, now, layer the remaining cooked rice over the chicken. Top it with fried onions, coriander and mint leaves.

· Finally add the ghee and saffron soaked milk.

· As the layering and final addition of ingredients for the biryani is done, we need to give a dum, by placing a lid on the pan and seal the edges of the pan with a dough, and keep it on medium flame for 15-20 minutes, make sure you use a heavy bottom pan or place a tawa underneath to avoid burning of biryani.

· Chicken Dum Biryani is ready to be served hot with raita and salads.