Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!

After a long time, I am posting one of my favorite recipe. Hope you all enjoy this recipe by following my step by step procedure. I know everyone of us, longing to make it perfect, don't worry if it fails ; just try it one more time, because this is my third attempt. So, finally I made it into success. Here is the recipe Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!
This biriyani is the special one (king of biriyani), which is easy to prepare on one pot. The difference is, where the raw poultry / meat blend with all spices & sourness of thickened yogurt, placed at bottom of the large pot and layered with half cooked rice, saffron milk - which gives great aroma & bright yellow color (appetizing to our eyes), hand full mint & cilantro leaves and fried onions makes the dish more exquisite.

Marination Time : 30 minutes / overnight
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Recipes Cuisine : South India
Ingredients:
Chicken Marination:
Chicken (thighs) – 500gms
Oil – 2 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon – 1 large stick
Cardamom – 5 nos (crushed)
Star anise – 2 nos
Black pepper – ½ tsp (crushed)
Cloves – 5 nos
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Mace / javintri powder – ½ tsp
Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Poppy seeds – 1 tsp
Shahi jeera – 1 tsp
Anise seeds – 1 tsp
Fried onion – 2 tbsp (http://mysouthernflavours.com/2013/11/22/fried-onions/ )
Curd / yogurt – 1 cup (thick)
Salt – 2 tsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Ginger – garlic paste:

• Ginger – 1 large pieces
• Garlic – 7 cloves
• Green chilies – 2
• Cilantro – 3 strand

Rice preparation:
Basmathi Rice – 500 gms
Salt – ½ tsp
Shahi jeera – ½ tsp
sombu / anise seed – ½ tsp
Cardamom – 2 nos
Cinnamon – 1 small stick
Cloves – 2 nos
Garnishing:
Saffron – pinch (mixed in milk)
Cilantro & mint leaves – handful
Fried onions – ½ cup (homemade)
Method:
Step 1:
Marinating Chicken:
 

• First clean the chicken & remove the moisture by using paper towel.
• Start to mix the all spices, yogurt / curd, fried onions, salt & oil in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken to the mixture and marinate it for atleast 1 hour / overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2:
Rice Preparation:

• Soak the basmathi rice for 30 minutes with enough water.
• Boil the water in a large pot, add shahi jeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & salt.
• Now drain the water from the soaked rice & add to the boiling water.
• Turn off the flame, when the rice half cooked ; drain water & wash the rice in the cool water for a minute (prevents rice from over cooking)

Step 3:
Layering the Dum Biriyani:
   

• In a heavy bottom pan / nonstick, first arrange the marinated chicken & add cubed butter on it.
• Now layer with the half cooked rice, pour saffron mixture over the top.
• Final layer with handful of cilantro & mint leaves, fried onions and cover it with tight lid.
• Cook it on high flame for first 10 minutes.
• After that cook it on dum, for another 15 – 20 minutes on very low flame.
• Serve it hot & enjoy with onion raitha & brinjal curry.

Hints:

• For dum biriyani use heavy bottomed utensil / nonstick.
• Don't worry if you are not having tight lid, cover the pan with news paper / muslin cloth & close it with lid [or] keep heavy vessel over top of the lid (this helps for perfect dum, without releasing pressure).