Authentic Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani is a phenomenal crowd-pulling Indian recipe. Nonadherent fluffy basmati rice cooked, layered, and steamed with marinated chicken curry, Birista, and spices makes a perfect flavor to serve at family dinner or lunch. Make it pakki or Kacchi, both will not stop you to eat.
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What is Hyderabadi Biryani?
Hyderabadi biryani is the specialty of Hyderabad, India, and is famous all around the world. If you are living in the US, UK, or Australia, you can easily find the local style Hyderabadi biryani from the nearby restaurant which is incredibly awesome to connect the taste. Here in Dubai, I have tried several Indian restaurants with good Hyderabadi biryani.
Biryani itself invite their foodies with delectable aroma! Are you thinking the same? Vibrant color of fluffy rice, with curried meat, fried onions and herbs makes a perfect bite to fill the appetite. I love to serve biryani raita to make it more delicious. What do you like to have with biryani. Share in comment section.
The way of making, cooking and layering Hyderabadi dum biryani is distinguishing from other biryani recipes. You can easily recognize the hyderabadi biryani with the color, texture and aroma. Rice are uncluttered, long and fluffy while the chicken is 100% tender. Spices and masala of cooked curry blend so well with rice and chicken that's makes it unique and tasty.
Why Do I Love This Recipe?
This recipe has been taken from a Hyderabadi family freind who loves to eat and cook traditional Hyderabadi food in Dubai. I can't ignore that yum vibes when I first tasted this few years back and since than I am making this at home. If you haven' tried this biryani then give a try and you will love the variations in taste and will surely mark as signaure dish of Hyderabadi cuisine.
Hyderabadi biryani can be prepared in two ways:
- Kacchi biryani (authentic hyderabadi biryani) - Marinated meat cooked with rice in a sealed earthen pot (Mitti ki handi).
- Pakki biryani - Marinated cooked meat steamed with 80% cooked boiled rice.
Today, I am making Pakki biryani and hopefully will share the recipe of kachhi biryani in future.
Making Hyderabadi biryani is hazzle free job as you don't need to cook it for a long time just marinate the chicken with spices and steamed it with boiled rice. You can also try this recipe with mutton/lamb only the cooking time will increase. (Mutton will take 40 minutes on slow heat to get tender).
There are so many ways to prepare biryani and every region in subcontinent have their own recipes and believe me all are good and tasty. Saying this as I am a true biryani lover and never leave a place without tasting. Indian, Pakistan and Bangladesh have craziest taste bud for biryani (absolutely not kidding).
People living in Dubai, UAE are so keen to find good places of Hyderabadi biryani. So if you are beginner, bachelor or new married than here is a good idea to make this biryani at home. There are many places in dubai to get the best taste of Hyderabadi biryani. Check at Karama, Satwa, Nahda, Barsha and Deira.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Ingredients To Marinate Chicken
Chicken - Use breast, leg and thigh part without skin. Preferred to take chicken with bones.
Ginger Garlic Paste - main ingredient of curry to add a garlicky taste and invogarating aroma.
Garam Masala: Used homemade garam masala powder.
Spices: used red chili, turmeric, coriander powder and salt.
Yogurt: Fresh and thick yogurt will make the best curry taste.
Brown Onion: Hand crushed crispy brown onion (birista).
Ingredients To Cook Chicken
Oil - Use ghee or cooking oil. I used canola oil.
Whole Garam Masala: Cumin Seeds: 1 Tsp, Cloves: 10, Green Cardamom: 6, Cinnamon: 3 inches, Black Pepper: 15
Marinated Chicken
Tomatoes: Use pulpy tomato without skin.
Water: To make smooth and thicken curry texture.
Rice Ingredients
Rice: Used long grain basmati rice.
Whole Garam Masala: Bay Leaves: 2, Cloves: 5, Cinnamon: 2", Cumin Seeds: 1 Tsp, Aniseed: 1
Salt - 2 teaspoon (For Rice)
Layering Ingredients
Green Herbs: Coriander and Green Chilies (for Rice layering)
Edible yellow food color - 2 pinches are enough.
Fresh lemon: Pair up so well with saffron milk and add a citric taste to rice.
Saffron milk - In milk, add a few strands of saffron (zafran). It will turn out to yellow color in a few minutes.
Biryani Essence (Optional): Will add a specific aroma in rice. People also use kewra water/rose water but I prefer to skip if you don't have.
Recipe Of Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
Step 1: Preparation of Chicken Marinade
In a deep bowl, add yogurt and add freshly made ginger garlic paste. Season with salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Add crushed brown onion and mix well to make a one tone paste of all spices. Place chicken and coat well with all the spices. Marinate for 1 hour (minimum time, maximum is overnight).
Step 2: Cook the Chicken Curry
In a pan, add oil and heat it up. Add whole garam masala and let it pop for few seconds. Add marinated chicken and cook on high heat. As the chicken starts releasing water then add peeled tomatoes and cook on high heat.
When oil starts to float on the surface then add 200 ml water and cover the lid for 25 minutes to tender chicken on low/medium heat.
Step 3: Let's Prepare Rice
Soak basmati rice half an hour. In a spacious pan, add 500 ml water and add whole garam masala and salt. Cover for 10 minutes to make the water steamy and aromatic with gram masala flavor. Add rice in hot boiling water and cook until it cooks to 80%. It will take around 4 to 5 minutes on high heat.
Drain water from the rice and start the layering process.
Step 4: Biryani Layering & Steaming (Dum)
Generously brush oil in biryani pot on the bottom to avoid rice sticking. Now place a layer of rice and pour the chicken curry over it. At the same time, sprinkle fresh coriander and green chilies at the top of the curry layer.
Repeat to add 2nd layer of rice and chicken curry. Sprinkle green coriander. Cover the chicken top with remaining rice. Sprinkle red food color and mix well with the help of a spoon. Now squeeze fresh lemon and sprinkle crushed brown onion. Pour a few drops of biryani essence.
To make it more tempting and aromatic, pour saffron milk (In lukewarm milk (3 tsp), add saffron petals and leave it for 1 hour).
Cover the pan and keep on high heat for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, turn the heat to low to make it steamy. (Dum)
Keep on dum for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes the Hyderabadi biryani will be ready to serve.
One of the best Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani recipe is ready! People make a variation as per their spice availability but I recommend you to follow step by step recipe to get the authentic taste of Pakki Hyderabadi biryani.
Watch Recipe
Easy Tips
- To get the best taste of biryani, don't overcook the rice as it will get mushy.
- Always soak the rice for 30 minutes even if you are using basmati rice.
- Use Chicken with bones and without skin.
- Chicken thighs, breasts, and leg parts are best to make biryani.
- Never make a paste of fried onion. It will change the texture of the chicken gravy.
- To avoid mushy biryani, use 80% boiled rice in the biryani layer and the rest will be done while steaming.
- Right after cooking, give 10 minutes of resting time to settle the rice and spices.
- Here are the best biryani secret tips that you will enjoy to make your version.
Serving
Hyderabadi biryani has special serving with Mirchi ka Salan which is also famous as biryani ka salan. You can also add Biryani Raita the famous green raita, freshly made veg salad. Add shami kabab in platter as it makes a perfect combo.
More Biryani Recipes
Mutton Biryani | Pakistani Biryani | White Biryani | Tikka Biryani | Karachi Biryani
More Biryani Ideas
Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade
- 800 g Chicken Bone-In
- 3 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1.5 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1.5 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 2 tablespoon Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Brown Onion Birista
Ingredients To Cook Chicken
- 1.5 tablespoon Cooking Oil Vegetable, Canola or Sunflower
- Whole Garam Masala:
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 10 cloves
- 6 Green Cardamom
- 3 inches Cinnamon
- 15 Black Peppercorn
- 1 cup Tomatoes Without skin
- 200 ml Water for curry
Ingredients to Boil Rice
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice
- Garam Masala for Rice:
- 2 Bay Leaves Cloves: 5, Cinnamon: 2"
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds: Aniseed: 1
- 2 teaspoon Salt - 2 Tsp For Rice
Layering Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Cilantro/Coriander Chopped
- Green Chilies
- 2 pinches Yellow food color
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 teaspoon Saffron milk
- ⅓ teaspoon Biryani Essence
Instructions
Marinade The Chicken
- In a bowl, add ginger garlic paste, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder.
- Also, add garam masala powder and yogurt.
- Add crushed brown onion and mix well to make a blended paste of all spices.
- Place chicken with bones in a bowl and give it a good mix to coat all the spices on chicken pieces.
- Marinate Chicken for 60 minutes.
Cook Marinated Chicken To Make Curry
- Now in a pan, add oil and heat it up.
- Add whole garam masala. As it starts popping up, place marinated chicken and cook on high heat.
- As the chicken starts releasing water then add peeled tomatoes and cook on high heat.
- When oil starts to float on the surface then add 200 ml water and cover for 25 minutes to tender chicken on low/medium heat.
- Preparation of Rice:
- Soak basmati rice for ½ an hour.
- In a spacious pan, add 500 ml water.
- And add whole garam masala and salt.
- Cover for 10 minutes to make the water steamy and aromatic with gram masala flavor.
- Add rice in hot boiling water and cook 80% rest will cook on steam (dum).
- Drain water from rice and start the layering process.
Layering
- Generously brush oil in biryani pan on the bottom to avoid rice sticking.
- Now place a layer of rice and pour the chicken curry over it.
- At the same time, sprinkle fresh coriander and green chilies at the top of the curry layer.
- Now add 2nd layer of rice.
- Make another layer of chicken curry.
- Now again sprinkle green coriander.
- Cover the chicken top with remaining rice.
- Sprinkle red food color and mix well with the help of a spoon.
- Now squeeze fresh lemon.
- Sprinkle crushed brown onion.
- Pour a few drops of biryani essence.
- To make it more tempting and aromatic, pour saffron milk (In lukewarm milk (3 tsp), add saffron petals and leave it for 1 hour).
Steaming (Dum)
- Cover the pan and keep on high heat for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, turn the heat to low to make it steamy. (Dum)
- Keep on dum for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes the Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani will be ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- To get the best taste of biryani, don't overcook the rice as it will get mushy.
- Always soak the rice for 30 minutes even if you are using basmati rice.
- Use Chicken with bones and without skin.
- Chicken thighs, breasts, and leg parts are best to make biryani.
- Never make a paste of fried onion. It will change the texture of the chicken gravy.
- To avoid mushy biryani, use 80% boiled rice in the biryani layer and the rest will be done while steaming.
- Right after cooking, give 10 minutes of resting time to settle the rice and spices.
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