Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani | Restaurant Style Biryani At Home

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is a flavorful and aromatic dish that is popular in Hyderabad, India. It is traditionally cooked using the dum method, where the meat and rice are layered together and cooked on low heat to trap the flavors and aromas. Here's a recipe for making restaurant-style Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani at home:

Ingredients:
For the chicken marinade:

500 grams chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon biryani masala
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
For the rice:

2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
4-5 green cardamom pods
4-5 cloves
2-inch cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
For the biryani:

3 tablespoons ghee or oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk
1/4 cup fried onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients listed under chicken marinade. Mix well to coat the chicken pieces evenly. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator for best results.

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add soaked and drained rice, bay leaf, green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, and salt. Cook the rice until it is 70-80% cooked (it should still have a slight bite to it). Drain the rice and set it aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan or a large pot, heat ghee or oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until they turn golden brown and caramelized. Remove half of the fried onions and set them aside for garnishing.

Add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilies to the remaining fried onions in the pan. Cook for a minute until the raw smell disappears.

Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and cook until they are browned and cooked through. This may take around 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.

Once the chicken is cooked, add chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix well.

Layer the partially cooked rice over the chicken in the pot. Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. Sprinkle the reserved fried onions on top.

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and seal the edges with aluminum foil to trap the steam. Cook on low heat (dum) for about 20-25 minutes. This slow-cooking process will allow the flavors to meld together.

After 20-25 minutes, turn off the heat and let the biryani rest for another 10 minutes. This resting period will ensure that the flavors are fully infused.

Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice using a fork, taking care not to break the grains. Serve the Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani hot with raita (yogurt dip) or salan (spicy curry).

Enjoy the delicious and aromatic Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani