Monday, December 28, 2009

Hyderabad Chicken Dum Biryani

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Just over with Christmas and a new year around the corner, I decided to share my Christmas special Hyderabadi biriyani :) By the way, I had a good Christmas with family. Lots of sofa time watching movies, indoor games etc and we also ventured out to play in the snow. Eating cookies and cakes like there is no tomorrow was also a big part of the season. It was fun!
If you have been following our blog you know most of my Hyderabadi stories and how fond I am of them. However, you should be patient with me because my culinary skills took shape while there. Also, if you have had Andhra food you will agree there is so much to be inspired by their cuisine. It leaves an indelible mark in your way of cooking, eating and your stories too :D At least it has for me.

Hyderabad Chicken Dum Biryani

I lived in Hyderabad for 5 years and never tried to make this world famous biryani while there. Why? Well, when you get delicious biryani from "Paradise" and "Hyderabadi House," the restaurants renowned for their biryani in Hyderabad, who wants to make it at home. I still remember how when we drove past the Paradise circle in Secunderabad my hubby and daughter would suddenly have hungry pangs. It didn’t matter if it was day or night we would have to stop and indulge ourselves. I would secretly share their feelings though I kept a ‘not interested face.’ Giving into our cravings we would walk into the restaurant like magnet attracts iron. The aromatic goodness of the rice and meat cooked to perfection readily comes to my mind.
Talking about Hyderabad Biryani, the most famous is the mutton biryani. The biryani comes from the royal kitchen of the Nizams the rulers of the historic Hyderabad state for, until the Indian Independence in 1947, almost 2 centuries. Nizams' kitchen used to serve more than 50 different types of biryanis. This is a mixture of Mughal and Telugu cuisine and there are 2 ways of preparing this biryani ; katchi biryani and pakki biryani. Katchi biryani is cooked in the dum method, as the name suggests, raw meat is cooked over the steam along with rice. All the flavors of meat and exotic spices infuse into the rice giving the biryani the perfect flavor. In pakki biryani, the meat is cooked with spices and fried onions and then layered with rice. Today, I am going to tell you how to prepare katchi biryani.

biryani

Ingredients

For marination:

Chicken (with bone; I used drumsticks)- 2 lbs
Cilantro leaves - 1bunch(small)
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Red chilli powder- 1 Tbsp
Green chillies - 3-4(cut into small pieces)
Ginger paste- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Yogurt (preferably sour) - 1 cup
Cardamom powder- 1 Tsp
Shahjeera (Royal Cumin) - 1 Tsp
Cloves - 3-4
Cinnamon sticks - 3-4 small ones
Tejpatta/Indian Bay leaves -2
Salt

For Rice:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Salt
Cinnamon stick - 1 small
Shahjeera - a pinch
Onion (fried)- 2
Saffron milk- 2-3 Tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp
Cashews and raisins fried - for garnishing
Ghee(clarified butter) -1 Tbsp
Oil- 4 Tbsp

biryani

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients listed under the title for at least 2 hours/ overnight in the refrigerator.
2.Fry the onions and keep aside. Also fry the cashews and raisins.
3. Wash and soak the rice for half an hour.
4.Boil water in a pot along with salt,cinnamon stick and shahjeera in it. Add rice once it starts boiling.
5.Reduce the heat and cook till the rice is half done. I added 1: 1.5 , rice: water and cooked for about 8 minutes at medium heat.
6.Pour off any excess water and let the rice dry completely.
7.Pour 2 Tbsp of oil in a really thick bottomed vessel, in which you are planning to cook biryani and layer the marinated chicken.If you think the vessel is not thick enough you can keep it on a tawa on the stove top.
8.Level the top and layer it with half of the rice which is half done followed by fried onions and a Tbsp of saffron milk.Repeat this for the other half of the rice.
9.Sprinkle some cilantro leaves and mint leaves on the top.
10.Pour in a Tbsp of oil and the ghee over the top.
11.Cover with a tight lid. If you do not have a tight lid, use some dough to stick the lid and vessel tightly, so that the steam is not escaped.
12.Cook it on the high heat for the first 5 minutes, then on medium heat for 25 minutes and on very low heat for 10 minutes.
13. Wait for another 10-15 minutes before you open the lid.
14.Mix the chicken and rice together and serve hot with raita after garnishing with cashews and raisins.(I didn't use raisins)

biryani

Notes

1.Before you marinate chicken drain the water from chicken completely.
2.If you cook the rice well initially it will get overcooked when you layer it with chicken.
3.Originally this biryani is very hot, but I have added a bit less since I have kids who cannot take that much chilli.
4.The vegetarians can replace chicken with veggies.

56 comments:

  1. I simply love dum biriyani's...this looks so deliciously tempting and yummy!..thx for sharing such a wonderful recipe, dear!

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  2. Merry Christmas to you... I tasted biryani for the first time when I traveled to Lahore in 2004. Yours is looking yummy

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  3. Looks mouthwatering,pics are too good...

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  4. ohh wonderful snaps and looks very yummy..buttt I am a vegetarian :(.

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  5. I love biryani..any kind ,for breakfast, for lunch,for dinner and also for dessert :D Your biryani is really tempting me. It looks awesome and yummy.

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  6. pics are too good dear.mouth watering biryani.

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  7. Biryani looks amazing....lovely clicks.

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  8. itz my favorite too.ur briyani aroma is coming till here.super!!!

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  9. Adipoli biriyani with tempting clicks....so xmas adichu polichu alley..v too enjoyed with biryani,but malabar biryani,Hyderabadiyude chettano aniyano ayitte varumm,he he....

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  10. biryani is my all time favourite meal, urs looks delicious

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  11. Tempting and mouthwatering dish..lovely presentation..

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  12. Great recipe, Namitha !!

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  13. My tummy started growling as soon as I seen the pic... Looks so delicious!

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  14. mouthwatering chicken biriyani! valare nannayittundu da...sherikum kothiyavunu..:)

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  15. Hey Gals!!
    Hope you had wonderful holidays...
    Oh wow!!! what a click...Biryani looks fabulously yummy dea..!!!
    Ooh i m drooling

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  16. I too lived in Hyderabad for a few years after I got married, thanks for reminding about the briyanis from Hyderabad House and Paradise :) Your version looks absolutely delicious, drool-worthy pictures!

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  17. I'm great fan for Hyderabadi Biryani, i loved it at the first glance, beautiful click:)

    Wish u all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

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  18. Wow wow wow fantastic pictures and always love biriyani... looks awesome and perfect ...

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  19. Adipoli...athu muzhuvan kazhikkan thonunnu....

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  20. Biryani to die for !!!! Beautiful clicks

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  21. Dum biriyani, all time tastes good.
    Wow picture perfect.

    ...and keep smiling...

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  22. Just yesterday i was thinking i need to find a good chk biriyani recipe..now i need to look no further!

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  23. OMG! This rice and chicken dish looks and sounds so amazing! I was drooling while reading and I love that you mentioned about vegetarians can replace chickens with veggies. I can't wait to give it a try, thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe:)

    p.s. Thanks for letting me know that you'll try to participate in my giveaway, can't wait to see what you'll come up with:)

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  24. wow the rice stir-fry looks unbelievably delicious!

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  25. I too made this last weeknd..:) adipoli biriyani ayirunu..Ur biriyani looks so yummy and colourfull :)

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  26. nice to see hyderabadi biriyani again. I had this when I was in hyderabad for a meeting. It tastes really tasty and your pictures reminds me of the taste again.

    Happy New year to you and your family.

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  27. yummy recipe dear..please do check this link http://easy2cookrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-party-09-at-easy2cookrecipes.html

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  28. Wow!What a nice biriyani and lovely photo.Keep rocking!

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  30. Just saw a lovely briyani and mutton curry in Asra Ashaon's space.. :)..
    Classic Hyderabadi Biriyani...Wonderful clicks too, Girl :)

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  31. Dear Gulmohar
    Thank you so much for this New year Gift and will make it soon. I love Hyderabadi Biriyani!
    I normally dont make chicken Biriyani. For biriyani you have used the right pieces, only drum stick, thigh piece and wings are used. These are juicy. Never use breast pieces unless you like the solid, fibrous pieces :-)
    Happy New Year

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  32. oooooooooooh yummm that looks perfect! pass me a plate please, a big one ;)

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  33. That was a cute blurb to hear about your stay at hyd .Even iam fond of hyderabadi biryani,me n my friend will go to a hotel at chennai looking for hyyderabadi biryani n hog :D such a yum dish.Tempting pics n a nice way of preparation.

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  34. I love veggie dum biryani's..am a veggie so cant comment much abt your biryani.However I must say its great looking one...i loved the second click.Its truly inviting:)

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  35. Thanks everyone..
    @Deepa,Nithya : You could prepare veg biryani in the same way..
    @ Ushnishda and S : Pl do try it and let me know how you like it :-)

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  36. Lovely pictures! Sure it tasted as good. And thanks for dropping by.

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  37. My son goes crazy for biryani! U make me drool with ur chick biryani!

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  38. wow..very beautiful oic..very tempting biryani

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  39. hey yummy biryani...luks damn tempting....nice recipe...i love chicken biryani...vl try ur version 2

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  40. I make this biriyani occasionally and my method is almost similar to yours :-). The color is wonderful and it is mouthwatering!

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  41. Bookmarked.Absolutely delicious briyani

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  42. i like biryani very much, if they woke me up at any time to eat biryani i will eat it.Dum biryani sure i will try it.looks delicious.

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  43. wow looks so delicious dear. i think shajeera is the main ingredient for hyderabadi biryani but i omit shajeera and used normal cumin seed. urs looks superbb and lovely click tooo.

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  44. Very beautiful and tempting picture Nami :)

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  45. I love the old picture too.. it always reminds us the old days of blogging. Nice to see back our collections right :)

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    1. That's true Pavi :) That's why I left them there even when I updated,they have a special place in our heart :)

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  46. what do you do when the yogurt cooks weird? like white clumps? what does this mean, almost like it curd

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    1. I never faced a situation like that till now.I have tried this recipe at least a hundred times by now :) Did you mix in the yogurt without any lumps in the marinade ? what did you use, yogurt or curd ?

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  47. really looking very tasty and delicious all the dishes is very amazing

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