Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Either mutton or chicken Biryani , hyderabad  is  very famous for  that.  hyderabad biryani is peculiar and splendid in taste.Many people afraid to hear the word 'dum'.They think that process is heavy and experience persons only can do that dum biryani.It is not correct ..This is very easy and every one can prepare this recipe.But  marination will take some more time ...other wise we can prepare this biryani is in quick time...Quality basmati rice and marination  of the chicken pieces are very important to this recipe.

Ingredients

For Chicken marination
Chicken	1/2 kg
cloves	4
green cardomon	2
pepper corn seeds	1/4 spoon
bay leaf	2
star anise	1
shah jeera	1 spoon
cinnamon	1 inch
marati mogga	1
turmeric	pinch
salt	to taste
red chilli powder	1 spoon
ginger garlic paste	2 spoons
green chillies	4
mint leaves	few
coriander leaves	few
oil	1/2 cup
curd	1 cup
coriander seeds powder	1 spoon
cumin seed powder	1/2 spoon
lemon juice	1 spoon

For Rice cooking
Basmati rice	1kg
water	4 liters
salt	to taste
shah jeera	1/2 spoon
bay leaf	2
oil	2 spoons
cinnamon	1 inch
cloves	4

For Dum
Ghee	2 spoons
onion	1
saffron	pinch
hot milk	2 spoon
rose water	1 spoon

Preparation

Chicken pieces should be in medium or big size.leg pieces and medium size breast pieces preferable.
Wash chicken pieces and drain completely.
Wash coriander and mint leaves and cut coriander leaves finely.
Wash green chillies  and cut into medium size pieces. or slit them.
Take a mixie jar and add all garam masala ingredients(cloves,cinnamon,cardomom,shah jeera,bay leaf,anise,marati mogga,pepper seeds) and make a fine powder.
Take a big mixing bowl and add chicken pieces,masala powder,ginger garlic paste,turmeric,sat ,red chilli powder,curd,mint leaves,coriander leaves and green chilli pieces and mix all well.Add cumin powder(optional),coriander seed powder,lemon juice and  oil(1/2 cup) and mix well and take this chicken allow to marinate for over night.So put this bowl in the fridge or marinate atleast for 3 hours for delicious biryani.

Wash rice 2 or 3 times and soak for 1 hour then drain completely.
Cut onion long and thin pieces.
Soak the saffron in hot milk.

Method

1.Take a pan and add some oil for frying onion pieces.
2.When oil is heated add long and thin onion pieces and fry until they become to dark brown colour and remove from the oil.
3.Take a big  vessel and add some water (5 to 6 times more than rice) and put on the flame.
4.When water is started to boil add 2 spoons of oil and salt.
5.Mix the water and taste it when salt is completely dissolved.
6.This water should be little bit salty because  the rice absorb this water at the time of cooking so add enough quantity of salt for that rice.
7.Add cloves,cinnamon stick bay leaf and sha jeera and mix well.
8.Add soaked and drained basmati rice and cook until 70% of rice cooked.
9.When 70% of rice cooked then put off the flame and leave for 3 minutes and  drain the rice.Then rice is cooked nearly 80%.
10.Take a thick bottom vessel or bandi and put on the flame add 2 spoons of oil.
11.When oil is heated add marinated chicken pieces and cook for some time.
12.When water is coming from the chicken  then add 80% cooked rice .
13.Spread this rice like a layer on the chicken pieces.Add fried onion pieces  and ghee over the rice.
14.Add saffron milk and rose water on the rice and put the lid.
15.Cover the lid with chapati dough and seal it for prevent the steam coming out from the vessel.
16.Put the flame in high for 5 minutes then put it low for 10 minutes.
17.Then put a tawa  on the flame and place this chicken dum bandi on it for avoid brown..
10.Cook for another 20 minutes and put off the flame.
19.Do not open the lid immediately after put off the flame.
20.Open it after 5 to 10 minutes.
21.Aromatic flavour comes out and touches our nose first then colourful dish appears to our eyes.
22.Tasty chicken dum biryani is ready to eat and enjoy this dish with raita or any kurma....or sharuva.

Keep in the  mind

Use high quality basmati rice for nice biryani.
Do not cut the chicken pieces small.They will be become small pieces when they cooked with the rice...
Adding cumin powder is optional.
If saffron is not available you can add yellow food colour also.
Cooked basmati rice should be grainy and not mushy...