Murg Dum Biryani / Chicken Dum Biryani

This is my 100th post..Yippeee..When I started writing down my recipes I never thought I would touch this number so soon. And this called for a celebration. What special could I make other than Biryani which everyone in my family loves. Biryani is usually of two types. one is the Kachchi Biryani and the other one is Pakki biryani. What i have made here is the pakki version of it. 

The Kachchi biryani is prepared with meat marinated with spices overnight and then soaked in yogurt before cooking. The raw meat is sandwiched between layers of fragrant long-grained basmati rice, and is cooked on dum, after sealing the handi (vessel) with a layer of dough. This is a challenging process as it requires meticulous attention to time and temperature to avoid over- or under-cooking the meat.

In a Pakki biryani, the meat is marinated for a shorter time, and is cooked before being layered with the rice and cooked in a dough-sealed vessel. 

Ingredients

Onion – 4 large + 1 medium - (cut lengthwise)

Oil for deep frying

Ghee – 4 tbsp

Coriander leaves – ¾ cup - finely chopped

Mint leaves – ¾ cup - finely chopped

Saffron – 3-4 strands (soaked in 2 tbsp milk)

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

For Chicken Layer

Chicken – ½ kg

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – ¾ tsp

Salt

Yogurt – ¾ cup (whisked into a creamy mixture)

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup - finely chopped

Mint leaves – ¼ cup - finely chopped

For Rice Layer

Basmati rice – 1 ½ cup

Green Cardamom – 3

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch

Bay leaf – 1

Mace – 1

Star anise – 1

Salt

Water as needed (approx 4 cups)

Method

Firstly heat oil in a non stick kadai. Add the onion (4 large) and deep fry it. Fry it till it turns light brown. Drain it on a tissue paper so that the extra oil gets absorbed. Take out ¼ portion of fried onion and chop it roughly. Keep it aside.

Prepare the Chicken Layer

In a bowl add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and beaten yogurt. Add chicken and rub the marinade all over the chicken so that it gets coated well. Add ¼ cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves and above chopped fried onion. Leave it in the fridge to marinate for around 4-6 hours.

Take a non-stick pan and add 2 tbsp ghee. Add onion (1 medium) and saute till it turns pink. Add the marinated chicken and cook till almost done. Add water if needed. Once done keep it aside.

Prepare the Rice Layer

Bring the water to a boil. Add the whole garam masala, salt and basmati rice. Cook till the rice is 90% done. Keep checking with a fork so that the rice does not get overcooked. Strain the extra water.

Layering the Biryani

Take a non stick handi. Add half of the chicken at the bottom. Layer half of the rice over it. Sprinkle some of the fried onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Add the remaining half of the chicken over it. Keep some gravy to spread on the top. Add the remaining rice, fried onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Add the remaining chicken gravy. Spread 2 tbsp ghee over it. Add the saffron soaked milk and lemon juice. Cover it with a tight lid so that the steam does not escape. You can also cover it with a flat plate and keep a heavy object over it or seal it with wheat dough. Place this handi on a flat griddle and cook for 35-45 mins till the rice and chicken are completely done. Serve hot with raitha and Mirch ka salan.

My Notes

ü  While frying the onion, make sure you take it off the heat once they start turning brown. They will burn in no time if left for longer which will add a bitter taste to the Biryani.

ü  The longer you marinate the chicken the better it is. I had marinated it over night but if you are running short of time then you can cook it sooner also.

ü  Keeping the handi over the flat griddle is mainly to avoid direct contact with flame so that it does not burn at the bottom.