Yum! Yum! Yum!

This popular Chicken Dum Biryani recipe is long time due in my space. I have made this recipe several times for my family, office potlucks and friends gatherings, every single time this Biryani comes with the same authentic taste, in the same restaurant style look. My friends and co workers asked (and still asking) for this recipe from long time, I am glad now it is happening. Usually I make this recipe for potlucks and then i don't get leisure time to capture the pictures with plated Biryani, but recently when I made this for Thanks Giving potluck at my office, I was determined to get some pictures and I did. YaY! I want to give you a heads up that, this is a little lengthy recipe as it is Dum biryani, you have to cook Chicken first then rice and arrange in layers and cook on low heat for long time. So don't expect to take any shortcuts, allow your self with preparation and cooking time, to witness the authentic texture and taste for this Biryani. Don't worry I will be giving you tons of tips at every step along with the recipe to make this easy for you. With little bit of planning and preparing ingredients ahead you can master this recipe and will do it with very ease. :-) With out any due here is the recipe, Njoy!

Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients:
For Chicken:
Chicken - 2 lb
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 Cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 1/2 cup


For Biryani Rice:
Basmati Rice - 4 cups ( raw)
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon -  3 stick
Cardamom - 1 (crushed)
Clove - 4
Star Anice - 3
Shazeera - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp
Shaan Biryani Masala - 1 Tbsp ( use your favorite biryani masala)
Salt - 2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium ( chop them into thin slices)
Green Chili - 4 to 5
Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Food Color - a pinch of Orange and yellow ( Optional)


For Layering:
White Onion Slices - 1/2 cup ( thinly sliced length wise) ( to make fried onions)
Butter - 1 tsp
Red Onion - 1/2 medium
Cilantro - 1 Tbsp
Mint - 1 Tbsp
Eggs - 4 ( For Boiled Eggs)
Lime Juice - 2 Tbsp
salt - 1/2 tsp


Preparation:

• Marinate chicken with all the listed spices under Chicken Ingredients above (except Cilantro, we will use it while cooking chicken). You need to marinate chicken at least 2 hours, if it is marinated over night in refrigerator, that is best. 
• Wash Basmati Rice and drain in colander and keep it aside. 
• Boil Eggs, after they are boiled remove shells and cut them into half and set aside.
• Take small non-stick pan and add 1 tsp butter to it. Once the butter is melted, add thinly sliced onions, saute them on low heat for 2 min and on high for 2 min until they are slightly browned. Take them into a plate and set aside
• Take a small bowl add lime juice, mix 1/2 tsp salt in it.
• Chop red onion in long thin slices and keep them in a plate
• Chop cilantro and mint roughly and keep them in a plate.

Method:

Cooking Chicken:

1. Take marinated chicken into a wide non-stick pan ( no need to add oil to cook chicken). Close the lid and cook chicken on low heat for 15 min. Then open the lid, chicken should become tender by now. If not cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Open the lid, add cilantro to pot/pan, and cook on medium heat for 10 min. (this will make any excess water evaporate).
3. Finally cook for 5 min on high heat ( making sure chicken is not sticking to the bottom) and turn off the stove. 

Chicken before and after cooking

Cooking Biryani Rice:

1. Take all the required masalas (spoces, ginger garlic paste, biryani masala) in a plate. Take a wide pan on stove on low to medium heat. Add Oil and Butter to the pan, wait until butter melts and mixes with oil. 
2. Add spices to the oil and suate them for 2 min ( this makes the oil infused with spices). To this add thinly sliced onions, saute them for 2 min until raw smell goes away. Add ginger garlic paste to the onions and mix well. Add thinly sliced green chili and 1/2 cup cilantro and mix well.
3. Add washed and drained Basmati rice to the pan and mix with onions and spices thoroughly. 
4. Add Biryani Masala  and salt to the rice and mix well. Saute for 2 min ( not more than that). 
5. Add 7 cups of water to the Rice Cooker and transfer the rice to rice cooker. Start rice cooker to cook the rice
6. Right before rice is done, mix yellow food color in 1 Tbsp of water and pour this water on top in one half. mix orange food color in 1 Tbsp of water and pour this water on top on other half.  ( see in the picture below)

Steps in cooking Biryani Rice

Layering for Dum style Biryani:

1. Now Biryani Rice should be ready, Chicken should b ready. Keep all the things you need for layering at one place. As this is Oven method, we have to arrange everything in a baking dish or in aluminium baking pan and bake in the oven. 
2. Take a wide aluminium baking tray, apply 1 tsp butter on the bottom ( this prevents the bottom part from burning in the oven). Now start adding biryani rice ( don't mix the rice in rice pot,  carefully take it from side, this gives nice contrast of color spread at the end) to tray and spread it evenly. Add cooked chicken as next layer and spread it. Now add red onion slices, cilantro, mint mixture and drizzle lime juice mixture all over. 
3. Now repeat with another layer of rice, chicken and onion slices, mint & cilantro mixture, drizzle lime juice.
4. Add remaining rice as final layer and remaining onion, cilantro mixture and drizzle with lime juice. 
5. Finally top with boiled eggs (yellow facing down), sprinkle fried onions. Cover with Aluminium foil secure tight on all sides. 
6. Heat oven to 350 F and bake this for 10 min, then lower the heat to 200 F and cook for another 15 to 20 min. 
7. Take it out of the oven, open the foil and you will witness beautiful, wonderful aromatic dum biryani is ready to be served. Serve into platters and enjoy right away. 

Ready for layering, keep everything close by!

Arrange Rice and Chicken in Layers

Top with Boiled eggs and fried onions - top layer

Red onion slices gives nice kick to Biryani

Tips:

• This recipe involves good amount of butter, Don't skim on butter that gives a great taste for this Biryani.
• While cooking chicken no need to add oil as there is enough in Chicken already and Yogurt we used in marination aids to cook chicken. Don't overcook chicken, that makes it too dry. You need to have slight gravy consistency  (should be like wet chicken) that adds chicken flavor to rice.
• If you don't have store bought biryani masala, you can use your home made garam masala
• If you are against using food colors use Safforn instead. Usually i don't prefer adding food colors, this is one recipe i relax on food colors, because the food colors gives nice restaurant look. When I am making at home i skip colors, but for potlucks and parties i use colors, to make it look attractive and crowd pleasure.  
• Overall this is a medium spiced compare to restaurant ones, if you prefer spicy, increase red chili powder, green chilies, biryani masala at each stage according to your needs. I prefer medium spiced as I feel like you should enjoy and taste all the flavors in Biryani not just spicy. 
• I prefer using aluminum baking tray esp for potlucks and office gatherings so that it is portable and you can throw once Biryani is done. For Home or Friends gathering I use wide (pyrex or corning ware) baking dish to give a nice appearance on the party table. 

Plated and ready to be served! Is n't this plate calling you, C'mon right away! :-)