Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
Feb 21st, 2009 | By Sowjanya | Category: Chicken Recipes, Featured recipes, Rice & Biryani Recipes
This is the first dish I tasted on my visit to hyderabad after my wedding. I have fallen in love with this authentic and elegant delicacy since then. It is worth spending time to make this at home and watch your loving ones relish the dish. Hyderabadi dum biryani is a signature dish from hyderabad, the city of pearls and is said to be a blend of mughal and persian cuisine. Basmati rice cooked with layers of marinated chicken or meat in a wide, heavy bottomed vessel on a low flame, is where it gets the taste from. This process of cooking is also known as “Dum .
Cooking basmati rice nice and fluffy make your rice dishes look more beautiful. A little practice is all you need to cook this beautiful long grain rice. Here are a few tips for cooking basmati rice.
-
Wash rice two to three times under cold water to remove the starch.
-
soak rice for atleast 30mts in plenty of water. This allows the rice to expand and cook without breaking during cooking.
-
Add a tbsp of butter or oil to the boiling water while cooking rice. This would make the grains separate.
-
Make sure you cook the rice in a wide bottomed pan and do not disturb the rice by stirring in between. This would result in breakage of the rice.
-
Let the cooked rice rest for a while before serving it.
There are 3 basic steps for cooking a delicious hyderabadi chicken dum biryani.
-
Marinating the chicken
-
Half cook the basmati rice
-
Layering chicken and rice together for the biryani.
Note: Please adjust the marinade ingredients according to your spice levels.
Now lets get into the things we need for these 3 steps.
For the Marinade
Chicken – 1 lb (about ½ kg) skinned, washed and cut into cubes. Boneless
chicken can also be used but I prefer to use whole chicken with bones. Make sure you drain all the water after washing the chicken.
Ginger & Garlic Paste - 2 tsps
Mint leaves (pudina) – 10 sprigs finely chopped
Coriander leaves – 10 sprigs finely chopped
Saffron - 2 pinches soaked in ¼ cup of milk
1 onion – finely sliced and deep fried till dark brown. (see pics)
yoghurt – ¾ cup ( I used a measuring cup)
chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
garam masala – 2 tbsps (lightly roasted in a pan on low heat for 30 secs)
juice of 1 big lemon (about 4 tbsps)
Oil – ¼ cup
Salt – ½ tsp
Oil for deep frying the onions – ¼ cup (do not use left over oil in the marinade after frying onions. discard or save it for a different dish)
For the rice
Basmati rice – 2 cups ( I used a measuring cup). Wash under cold water and soak for 30 mts then drain the entire water in a strainer and set aside
Whole green Cardamom – 4
Cloves – 3
Black cumin seeds (Shahi jeera) – ¾ tsp
Bay leaves – 2
Biryani flower ( Anasapuvvu) – 1
Black pepper corns – 4
Butter/oil/ghee – 1 tbsp
Salt – 4 tbsps
Water for boiling – 10 cups ( I used a measuring cup)
A wide & deep sauce pan to cook rice
For cooking in layers
1 wide heavy bottomed deep vessel / pot
A large dosa pan / flat bottomed skillet
Pinch of red orange color dissolved in 2 tbsps milk or water (optional)
Alluminium foil or a wet towel (squeeze the entire water) to cover the pan. Alternatively you can use whole wheat flour dough to seal the edges so that the steam does’nt escape.
Now that you have all the ingredients ready. Lets take a peek at the recipe.
- In a sauce pan heat about 1/4 cup of oil and deep fry onions as shown in the below pics till dark brown. Remove the onions and drain them on the kitchen towel. Once cool, crush them and set aside. They are ready to be mixed in the marinade. Alternatively you can use store bought fried onions too. (Do not use left over oil in the marinade)
The first step is marinating the chicken:
In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients till well combined. Cover and let it rest for an hour or overnight if you have some time. This would let the chicken absorb all the flavours of the spices and enhance the taste of your biryani.
Cooking the basmati rice:
While the chicken is marinating, place a deep sauce pan on the stove with 10 cups of water on high flame. When the water gets to boil, throw in the spices (cardamom, cloves, shahijeera, bay leaves, bay flower, pepper corns, butter, and salt) and cook for a minute. Now gently add in the drained rice to the boiling water and let it cook on high flame till another boil (takes 4 mts).
Immediately drain the rice along with the spices in a strainer. Let all the water drain off. Set aside.
OK, show time now, cooking both the chicken and rice together. But now that everything is ready, this is going to be a cake walk. Trust me. You can do this. Its EASY.
Place a heavy wide bottomed deep pot or vessel on the stove top and turn it on high flame. Allow the pot to get hot for about a minute.
Now arrange the entire marinated chicken at the bottom of this pot. This is your first layer.
Then arrange the half cooked rice on top of the chicken. This is going to be your second and last layer.
On top of the rice, add about 2 - 3 tbsps of oil. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 mts. Do not cook more than that because your chicken might get burnt.
Meanwhile heat a dosa pan/flat bottomed skillet on high heat till the pan is hot. Once hot reduce the flame to the lowest setting and place the chicken and rice pot on the tawa.
Remove the lid and pour in the red orange color water around in the center. This would give your rice the restaurant style look with some of the rice grains looking orange in color. Who would’nt want to surprise their guests with such looks!!!
Now seal the pot with an alluminium foil or a wet towel (squeeze all the water) or using the traditional whole wheat dough method. This allows the flavors of your chicken and rice to remain inside. Cook for 30 mts undisturbed on the tawa on the lowest setting. Switch of the flame and let it rest for 10 mts.
Just before serving open the lid, gently mix in the chicken at the bottom with the rice. serve it hot with mirchi ka salan or raita and enjoy.
I could’nt post the recipe for mirchi ka salan right away but promise to surely do it in my next post. Meanwhile do try the recipe and let me know how you liked it.
Sowjanya..When to add color? after transferring into pan or before that?
Ammu,
Thanks for dropping by. The food color is added to the rice after placing the pot on the dosa pan/skillet on low flame. i.e just before covering it with alluminium sheet and cooking.Hope that helps.
thanks sowjanya for the recipe… i will say no one cud ever explain the recipe so clearly… will try it asap… its my favourite…
priyanka, thanks for dropping by and u’r nice words. let me know how u liked it. drop me a word if u need any help. I’d be glad to help you.
Thanks for such a detailed explanation. Can I use the oven to do the same thing? I noticed that you did nt cook the chicken .Will the marinated chicken get cooked on its own within that time and not get burnt? What kind of garam masala do you use? Hope I have not asked too many questions
Nalini,
yes, you can use the oven too. The chicken would absolutely get cooked and will not get burnt as you are not directly placing it on the flame after the first few minutes. I’ve tried this countless number of times, and never had any issues with the chicken being undercooked. I use a homemade garam masala and sometimes priya garam masala when i run out of the homemade. Thanks for dropping by. It was nice to hear from you. Please leave me a note if you need any clarification. I’d be more than happy to help you.
Thanks Sowjanya for the reply. I had one more question. You did not add ginger garlic paste in the marinade , was this your personal preference or is there any other reason for it.
Nalini,
That was a typo. I just updated the post with the quantity for ginger & garlic paste. Thanks for reminding me.
Hi sowjanya , if we want to cook directly in oven (without using stove at all) after layering everything what should be the temperature and how long will it take ?
Preethi,
If you are cooking in a conventional oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees, layer everything in an oven proof dish, tightly cover with an alluminium foil, and cook in preheated oven for 25 - 30 mts. Please note that cooking time varies from oven to oven. So take a peek at the rice and the chicken after 25 mts to check if its cooked. Let me know if you have any clarifications. I hope you’ll like it.
Hi Sowji,
Thanks for your reply regarding the royyalu iguru. I tried making it again with the poppy seeds fried a little before I made the masala paste. This time it worked. Regarding this chicken biryani is the saffron a must? Please let me know so I can make it tomorrow for lunch. Also, do we have to fill little water in the dosa tawa to put the chicken rice pot in it? I like all your recipes and tried most of them. Please try to post more of non-veg dishes. I love the way you explain how to make them with home made masala paste.
Thanks,
Sravya
Sravya,
Saffron adds taste and color to the biryani, but its ok to skip if you are running out of it
you do not need to add any water in the dosa pan for cooking the biryani. Cooking it on low heat itself is enough. Hope that helps.
Sowji:
HURREEEEEEEEEEY!! I am so happy after I saw Your reply. I AM GOING TO MAKE IT NOW FOR TODAY’S LUNCH.
Thanks Sowji.
Sowji:
Forgot to ask You one more question. After we add the food color on the top of the rice, do we have to mix or shall I wait till the rice and chicken is completely done and then mix?
Sravya,
Just add the food color on top of the rice. do not mix it. Once you turn off the flame let the biryani sit for 10 mts and then mix it gently. enjoy your lunch
Hi soujanya,
i like biryani very much and u explained in a very detailed manner …
I also do almost the same process .. Sometimes in oven and sometimes on stove ….
Thanks for the tempting picture ………
Wow! nice biryani.
Can you please give the recipe for the garam masala.
Aparna,
Sure will post the recipe for garam masala soon. If you need the recipe before I post it, I can email it to you. Let me know.
recipe for garam masala please
Heyyy Soujanya!!
Thanks fro the recipe
i ve never seen any recipe so detailed….
Prev.i have a doubt about layerin chicken and rice..
ur description n pics helped alot..
RaDo,
Thanks for the sweet words. I hope you’ll like it.
what a clear explanation…!!!!!!
i tried out this recipe yesterday and it came out so well …my hubby appreciated me a lot for this, i followed ur instructions as it is with exact quantities..thanks a lot for this recipe, explained so neatly and clearly that to with photos….it really helped me a lot….looking forward for more recipes…
but i do have a doubt regarding whole garam masala( in general) tell me exact no of cloves,cardamom,elaichi to be used in order to prepare any biryani or fried rice for cooking 1 kg of rice ( actually iam new to cooking)i donot no wat all to be used and how many to be used..?
once again thanks a lot …
Ananya,
Its good to hear you liked the recipe. I love it when someone try out the recipes I post.
Sorry, I did not quite understand your question though regarding the qty of garam masala. Are you asking about the qty of whole spices that go into rice while half boiling it or the qty of whole spices used to grind garam masala. Please let me know so I can help you out.
One more thing, I do not use any garam masala spices in fried rice recipes. All that goes into fried rice is black pepper powder apart from the other ingredients. Hope that helps.
hi sowjanya
thanks for repling so early;;
its reg… the qty of whole spices while half boiling in the preperation of biryani….
Ananya,
Approximately for 1 kg of rice, you can use the following spices. But then again increase or decrease them according to your spice levels.
Green Elaichi - 8
Cloves - 6-8 (adjust)
Shahi Jeera (Black cumin seeds)- 2 tsps
Bay leaves - 4
Anasapuvvu - 2
Whole Black Pepper corns - 8 (adjust)
Butter 2 tbsp
Salt - A fistful (say around 8 tbsps)
Water - 4-5 litres (about 14 cups) - Please note that the water we are using is just to half cook and later would anyways be discarded. Since we want to bring it to a good boil we are using plenty of water.
Hope that helps.
thanks a lot for ur reply…could you also post the recipe for garam masala powder…
Ananya,
Sure some of my readers have been asking for the garam masala powder recipe for a while. Will surely post it for you asap. Sorry, I’m juggling between work and home these days
Also will post pachi pulusu soon. Are you asking about vankaya pachi pulusu? or pachi pulusu recipe alone.
Hi Sowjanya,- this is an excellent recipe- the rice was properly cooked as well as the chicken- I tried several other recipes for Biryani but your recipe gave me the perfect combination. Can we use the similar recipe for vegetarian biryani, that is instead of chicken, can I marinate vegetables (carrots, cauliflower etc) and follow the same directions? - let me know thank you once again for such a great recipe and keep posting.. I am going to try your chepala pulusu this weekend and will let you know how it turned out
Deepika,
I’m glad you liked my recipes. For vegetable biryani I follow a slightly different process. I will be posting the recipe soon. Let me know how you liked the fish pulusu. Feel free to drop me a note if you need any help.
Hi Sowjanya,
Very interesting and well written recipe for Dum Biryani. I would like to prepare this for say around 20 people. What would be the measurements. If I knew how many number of people the recipe above served would just adjsut accordingly. Can I know how many people the above recipe would serve to.
Thanks
Hi melissa,
This would serve around 4-6 persons when accompanied by other sides dishes.
Hope that helps.
Hi
I am sorry but I found the number of servings. Thankyou. Lovely recipes
Great. Let me know if you need any help.
hi
iam planning to make this recipe for 25 people can u help me with the measurements of items needed for this biryani.
thanx
Shobha,
I’ll email you in detail.
thanx i will be waiting
shobha,
emailed you with the measurements. pls check and let me know if you need any help.
hi sowjanya,
iam making it for my son’s birthday party i will let u know how it came out as soon as possible.
Sure shobha,
Let me know how you liked it. As said earlier please adjust the ingredients according to your spice levels. oh and by the way “many more happy returns of the day” to your son.
I’m gonna treat my boss with this today.. Tried a couple of times before though. Will let you know how it comes out..
Thanks ramana. Hope your boss likes it. Do let me know if you need any help.
hi sowjanya,
This time the biryani came out very good. thanx.
wow this biryani is looking authentic and perfect.
Thank you for the recipe.
Nice recipe
Hello Sowjanya
I followed your recipe and the results were awesome. Verdict from my hubby the best biryani ever.
thank you for the wonderful recipe.
cheers
Sangeeta,
I’m glad you and your hubby liked the recipe. Thanks for dropping by and leaving your wonderful comment.
Hi Sowjanya,
I tried your recipe for my husband’s birthday and it came out perfect- he is from Hyderabad and loves biryani. I tried your directions and it came out perfect- the rice consisitency was perfect and the spices well balanced. I am planning to make it for lunch for a party of 9-10 people so I think I will double the qty. I know I can double the qty of the ingredients- my doubt is- how changing the qty will affect the cooking time? Can you please tell me the cooking times for double the qty i.e cooking time for rice and cooking time for biryani once we have it all together.
Kiranmayi,
Thanks for trying the recipe and your compliment. I’m happy you and your family liked it.
Even if you double the quantity (I’m assuming you want to cook 4 cups of rice) the cooking time for half boiling the rice remains the same. (around 4- 5 mts).
The cooking time after layering chicken and rice also remains the same ( around 30 mts).
Since stove tops vary, please make sure to see if the rice is fully done before you mix it and serve. If you feel it needs a little bit more time then cook it on low flame with the dosa pan on it.
Oh and do not forget to use a vessel that is wide enough to fit your ingredients since you are doubling the quantity.
Let me know if you need any help. I’ll be glad to. Hope you and your friends enjoy.
Wow, this looks delicious! I’m throwing a surprise dinner party for my husband in a few weeks time and would love to make this for about 20 people. I’d really, really appreciate it so much if you could send me the quantity/ingredients/measurements to cook this dish for 20 people. Many thanks in advance.
Hi habiba,
The recipe posted above would serve around 4-5 persons when accompanied with other side dishes. I’m going to email you the approximate ingredients for 20 persons.
Hey sowji….
guess what i finally prepared Hyderabadi Veg Dum biryani last sunday as per your recepe…and you dont believe , it turned out really good…. Balaji loved it and i felt a sense of accomplishment :))..thanks for the recepie.. will buzz you some time..
cheers
soumya
Hey sowji,
Thanks a lot, very clear reciepe.
1. I would like to make it for my friends (Around 20 people). Can you please email me the approximate ingredients for 20 people.
2. Where did you buy the vessel for layered cooking?does this vessel need thick bottom (I live in US where can i buy?)
3. Can you use any flat tawa that i got from India?
4. What else can we use instead of tawa?
Sowji,
can u please answer these questions also -
1. Where did you buy the vessel for layered cooking?does this vessel need thick bottom (I live in US where can i buy?)
2. Can you use any flat tawa that i got from India?
3. What else can we use instead of tawa?
Is the saffron added to the marinade chicken or add it to the rice. Could you please let us know as it was mentioned in the chicken marinade.
To cook Biryani in oven at 350 degrees took around 50 minutes.
Hi SP,
Thanks for dropping by. Yes I add saffron to the chicken marinade and food color to the rice. Oven temparatures vary from one oven to oven. As I mentioned in my earlier comments, please keep checking after the first 25-30 mts to see if the rice is cooked or not. Hope that helps.
very clearly written recipe… will try it for my hubby’s bday which is on this sunday … and will definitely let u know the results
Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment lobo. Lemme know how you liked it.
gr8 dear…. I cudn’t believe it, it turned out really good…. my hubby Balaji loved it and i was praised by my all my family members …….thanks for the recepie..
Thanks so much for this recipe … I fully followed the recipe and directions … came out GREAT! thank you so much
what can i use in place of a tawa?
Hi Fatima,
you can use a flat iron skillet if a tawa is not available. Most indian stores sell tawa/dosa pans.
Hi Sowjanya,
Wow this is amazing,, its as good as standing in front of mamma in her kitchen and she giving me the recipe and cooking it as well,,,THANKS AGAIN
I have down loaded quite a few recipies and methods for cooking dum biryani but believe me nothing beats your explaination and the photos are just the iceing on the cake,
im sure i will be a better cook than i am now if there are more helpfull people like you in this world,
thanks for being so kind,
hope to see few more non veg dishes from you,
Rick
Rick,
Thanks for dropping by and the nice words. I’m glad you liked the recipe.
Hi Sowji,
The biryani was yummy and my husband like it very much and he was so happy
Thank you so much for the recipes and are very good.
Divya
Divya,
I’m glad you and your husband liked the dish. Thanks for the compliments. hope to see you around. comments give me a lot of energy to blog more
Hi Sowjanya,
I would like to know that for 1/2 kg chicken approximately how much of curd must be used in this recipe? You said 3/4th cup can you pls tell ne the exact quantity? Actually, till now i haven’t tried this as I’m very scared to try but after seeing your recipe nad the readers comments I surely want to try this weekend.
Please let me know the curd measurement…
Hi Shilpa,
Sorry for the delay in replying back. When posting in the website, all the measurements I give are using measuring cups and spoons. 3/4th cup is 3/4th measuring cup which is equal to 175 ml. Hope that helps.
i tried it many tyms n d results wer outstanding thnks a lot
Hey Sowjanya,
Lady you rock !! i mean just look at the simplicity with which you’ve explaine this “not o easy” recipe… we went for dinner to one of our relatives, and there my husband really liked the hyderabadi biryani.. Now my very obvious attempt was to make an equally good biryani at home..glued myself to google..but trust me you, i did not find a better explained recipe than yours..
And guess what… My husband just loved the biryani i made.. I even shared your site with my collegues at office.. they too tried it at home,and their families just loved it….
So i thought it was time to share the compliments with the one who deserved it most…
Also wishin u n ur family a very happy new year !!! May you help us with more of such recipes this year as well…
Lots of love
Hi,
This looks really good! Just what I was looking for. Can you pls email me the measurements for 30 people.
Thanks!
sorry I sent you the wrong email id earlier . Thanks! pls send it to this id.
I would like to know the measurements for 30 people. Thanks!
Hi Jaya,
I am currently on vacation and would be back in a week or so. I will mail you the measurements as soon as I am back. Thanks so much for dropping by.
hii!!
biryani was really spicy and good . i liked alot not only me but also my frnz and neighbours…thank u sowjanya..
and i want to know how to make a pizza…
Sending Thank you from Australia Sowjanya, the biryani turned out great even on my first try!
I cooked it in a Le Creuset pot and it still turned out fantastic, a bit crusty on the bottom but then I didn’t have a tawa to moderate the heat.
Hi Sowjanya
This recipe was excellent. My husband and son both loved it! Your images and detailed description were very helpful. I used half a chicken for this recipe and assumed it should be about a pound but I guess it was more than that– because my husband said it would have been better with lesser chicken. But taste wise it was perfect!!!!!! Its really cool that you could explain such a complicated dish so clearly. Thanks! My husband wants me to make it again for a party for about 15 people. Could you tell me what quanities and cooking times to use for this please? Thanks!
Hi Sowjanya, the recipe looks great and really yummy. The way you explained each step is very clear. I’m making this recipe this weekend, so just dropped by to clear a doubt. You mentioned in the recipe to cook biryani in a very low flame. My stove top has 4 hobs. one is very small, the other 2 are medium and one is a bigger hob. So i just wanted to know on which hob to cook the biryani, because the heat varies from medium hobs to the bigger hob. If i cook the biryani on the medium hob with a very low flame for 30mins maybe the biryani maynot cook or if i cook the biryani on the bigger hob with a very low flame for 30mins the biryani might get burnt. And also the same about half cooking the rice. So please would you clear my doubt.
Thank You,
Pallavi.
Hello Sowjanya,
Great work!! Amazing description of an authentic recipe. It was an absolutely perfect description.
You are going to make great chefs out of people! Believe me, this is perfectly the way i make a Dum Biryani.
My friends and family go crazy over this recipe and this is what brings me the greatest satisfaction. I am sure you will agree.
Just an Idea for your wonderful recipe..Did you add Mace..(Javetri or Jaipatri) ?
Just 1/4th or 1/2 of this flower is enough (bcos too much of it would dominate the Biranyi’s smell…). Try it next time and see how it tastes and smells.
Thank you so much for sharing.
regards
Ramesh
Hi Ramesh,
I am overwhelmed. Thanks for the wonderful comment. I loved the idea of adding mace to biryani. Will try it next time I try this out. I agree with your words, of how happy we feel when we serve our own dishes to our loved ones. Thats an amazing feeling.
Thanks again, for dropping by and the lovely comment. I hope to see you around.
Hello Sowjanya,
Nice biryani.Really we like it. Ur explanation is very clear. I also tried chicken 65 and butter paneer masala it was also fantastic. Thank you so much.
Nisha,
Thanks for trying out the recipes and letting me know the results. I am glad you liked it.
hiiiii………………..sowjanya thanks for u r detailed description of biryani…….
hi sowjanya!…..
i’m also sowjanya…. i had a doubt…. while marinating u dint add ginger garlic paste…. y? the taste will com with that only na…..
ok its very helpful to me… nice recipeeee.
ohhh…soryy not in the marinating…in rice
Hi Sowjanya,
Ginger garlic paste is added to the chicken and not in the rice. Adding it to the chicken brings out the flavor in it and is not required additionally again in the rice. I believe that clarifies your question. Thanks for dropping by. Do let me know if you have any other questions. I’d be glad to help you.
Hi Sowjanya,
Very nice recipe..i tried at my home it came out well..thanks so much for wonderfull recipe..:)
this is the 4th time i am making your reciepe…i really like the detailed way of your explanation….
Thanks Swapna,
I am overwhelmed. Really happy to see your comment and that you liked it. Thanks for dropping by.
hi, do you know where i can get the biryani flower from in the UK and//or what else it is called. I cant seem to find it anywhere!
Hi Mariam,
It is called Star anise in english and is available in most of the indian grocery stores. Here is a link of how it looks like. hope that helps.
http://www.nutsonline.com/cookingbaking/seeds/anise-seeds/star.html?gclid=CN-5iKCJgqECFdFW2godoENRvA
hello Sowjanya
really?? i have those, they’re sooooo super strong. lol. i cant believe it, r u sure?
Hi Sowjanya
Thanks so much for posting this recipe so clearly. I cant explain how motivated I’m to try this out. I’d given up on making hyderabadi biryani coz of not getting it right. I’ll try it soon.
Thanks again,
Chitra
Hi Mariam,
Anasapauvvu is the telugu name for that. If you notice, I used only one flower to flavor the rice. Once you are done half boiling if you think, the rice is going to be more strong flavored, you can discard them away before dum cooking. hope that helps
thank you Sowjanya.
This is simply awesome !!!!
Excellent.. My briyani is still on the stove and hoping it should come out good.. :o)
But your way of telling the receipe is very crisp and clear….
Hi Anjali,
I hope you’ll like the biryani. You know what? I have the same level of excitement like yours when I experiment a new dish. I just can’t wait till the cooking is complete and I taste it
Do let me know how you liked it.
Hi sowjanya
Tried your recipe. Didnt have the star anise but it came out well for first attempt. Hubby liked it too.
I have one question. How do u get the perfect salty taste in the chicken pieces after biryani is cooked. Mine were ok with spice levels but little less in saltiness. I marinated for over an hour. Pls advise.
Hi Chitra,
Wondering if you missed adding salt to the chicken while marinating.
Dear Sowjanya
Can u advise me which basmati rice is really good for making Biryani.
Regards
Divya
Hi Divya,
Any basmati rice that you see in the grocery stores is good as long as it is aged. I usually switch between kohinoor and India Gate depending on the availability and price. Both taste equally good and fragrant. We usually see 1 year old basmati rice in the Indian grocery stores in US. Hope that helps.
Hi Sowjanya,,
Today I prepared it for 3rd time.Its so tasty,,I am staying in Hyderabad from last 3 years.when i searched to prepare hyderabad chicken biryani in net, i choose your recipe, because I really like the detailed way of your explanation with photo.Thank you so much..I am a Male,I prepared it for my wife..she likes it very much.
And please post Hyderabad Mutton dum Biryani in your recipe..I want to cook that in next sunday…
Thanks
hi sowjanya,
today we prepared for the first time by watching the recipe posted by you.
it is simply superb. the way u explained the recipe was really excellent.
taste was “the ultimate”. we enjoyed a lot……..thanks for such a delicious dish.
Hi Bharathi/Rajesh
Thanks so much for the lovely comment. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
Hi Sowjanya,
If anyone asks what are the ingredients to make Hyderabadi chicken dum biriyani, I’ll say there’s only one ingredient and will give the link to your recipe.
I wanted to write this comment even before cooking it. But then i went ahead and tried it out. Before going ahead let me tell you that i am a guy as my name is commonly kept for girls as well in A.P.
And my expertise prior to cooking your recipe today is limited to quick fix items like egg burji, rice , dal and sambar being the most complex dish i have so far prepared in my life. That adds more shine to your medal.
Knowing my “abilities” in cooking, I was only expecting the biriyani (was not even expecting it would come out worth to be called so) to be edible. I was really surprised to find it delicious, yes i said “delicious”. Thanks a lot for the recipe Sowjanya. It’s given me confidence to go ahead and try your other recipes.
When i went through your recipe first time, i thought the pictures at various stages were the best part of it. When i started arranging the ingredients, i thought the precise measures mentioned are the best part. When i started cooking, i thought the cooking timings mentioned are the best part, especially for a novice like me.
When i taste it i know that it’s your passion for cooking and the heart to see the happiness of others enjoying the pleasure of good food that made you think like a novice person and write the recipe with answers to all the questions that pop up through out the process. Kudos Sowjanya, Great Work. Thanks a lot.
I am not from hyderabad. I will make sure that the recipe goes far and wide and brings smiles to many more people and confidence to further try dishes which are otherwise believed to be complicated.
Thanks again for the great recipe and for making my day.
Keep Spreading Happiness.
Kiran,
I have no words to say reading your compliments. I am delighted. Thanks for trying it out and leaving a wonderful comment on my blog. Thats by far the best compliment I ever received. yeah, you are right. I love cooking and gain pleasure when people like me who have similar interests learn from whatever little culinary skills I have.
Thanks again for the wonderful words, and I hope to keep up to the expecations of my readers with more recipes that everyone would love.
Wow! The recipe turned out a huge hit in our home. My wife was completely flattered with the taste. My 8 year old said, Dad your biriyani is far far far better than any restaurant’s biriyani. Thanks a lot! More guests (Wife told her friends) are coming in tomorrow. Have to redo it!!
BTW my cooking stint is only 3-4 days of experience. Imagine how much effort you have made to make me a good cook. Hats off to you!
Hi Mr.Krishnan,
I am delighted with your comments. Happy to hear your family devoured the biryani. Thanks so much for trying out and leaving by your comments. It gives me the energy to blog more
hi sowjanya,
I have browsed through various cookery sites for various recipes. but yours is the BEST.
You have explained a complicated recipe with so much clarity. great !
will visit your site often for more such recipes. thank you.
Thanks Asha,
I’m glad you liked my website.
hi sowjanya,
i prepared this dish today, its really tasty …………………..can u plz help me to prepare same dish for 25 people…………..plz my husband wants to invite his friends for this dish……..plz post for me……thx
hi sowjany
can u plz help me to prepare same dish for 25 people…………..plz my husband wants to invite his friends for this dish……..plz post for me……thx
Hi Laxmi,
I’m glad you liked the biryani. E-mailed you the measurements. Please take a look.
hi i wantd to ask u said first to put the marinated chicken and upon that rice wont the chicken get burnt..and first should we boil the rice little..
Hi Sowjanya,
Loved your blog & simplicity of recipe! It’s really cool!
I m goin to try this biryani. Will let u know how it turns out.
But please let me know the recipe for mirachi ka salan as well.
I couldn’t find out on ur blog, I will get elsewhere but want it from u!
Many thanx to u!
Hi Amruta,
Thanks for dropping by and the lovely comments. I’ll email you the recipe for mirchi ka salan today. Quite busy these days at work and could’nt blog but will post it sometime. Hope you enjoy the dish.
Hi Sowjanya,
amazing recipe…my biryani turned out soo good…I almost followed your recipe to the book..
Keep posting more amazing recipes..:)
~S
Hi sowjanya
amazing recipe i tried 2 times it was great. earlier i was confused how to make dum biriyani i usually cook the chicken first. thanks alot for the detailed recipe with pics. my hubby loved the biryani.
Hi, I followed the recipe and the taste was very good. But I didn’t like that the rice was very moist after mixing the chicken with the rice. Usually when I have had Dum Biryani the rice strands don’t stick to each other. Before I mixed the rice with the chicken I checked the bottom of the pan and there was about a 1/2 inch of chicken juices. I assumed mixing that with the rice caused the rice to be so moist and stick together. Once the chicken is done should there be no juices at the bottom? A Punjabi woman told me to use less yoghurt marinade when basting the chicken overnight.
Any suggestions would be great.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for dropping by. Yes, by the time the biryani is cooked there should be no juices at the bottom. When I mix its a thick paste and chicken that I see. Marinating overnight and using less yoghurt, I have’nt tried that ever but I use thick yoghurt that does’nt have any water normally. The recipe was tried and tasted number of times in my kitchen and never failed.
However, you could follow these steps and try this time.
1) Add marinated chicken, cover and cook on high for 5 mts or till you see there is no water running around.
2) Then add half cooked basmati rice, oil, food color etc., cover with a foil and transfer to the preheated dosa pan and cook on low flame.
This way you could ensure that there are no juices running at the bottom. Hope that helps. Do let me know how it turned out.
Thanks for te dish.. but, u need a wide non-stiky pan to have htis na?? else… the whole content will get stuck in to the ormal vessel rite?????
Hi Sanaz,
Yes you need a wide bottomed pan so it would be easy while mixing and also helps the biryani cooked all over.
Hello Sowjanya
Just wanted to thank you for the excellent reciepe and instructions. It came out great!
Thanks anitha for the compliments. Its great to hear you tried and let me know as well.
Dear Sowjanya,
This is the first ever hyderabadi dum biriyani i have tried in my life and believe me it was superb! i couldnt believe that it turned out so well and its all thanks to you and your experience in cooking.
i could dare not try dum biryani as i always thought it was difficult but the simplicity of your explanation made it more intresting and easy to encourage me to try this recepie.
i tried it twice at home and all my friends loved it!
I am sure u r a blessed woman and your family appreciates and likes you for the wonderful joy u spread to everyones lives.
Thankyou very much.
another thing, my husband very recently has turned veggie, could you share the recepie for Vegetable dum biryani?
thanks once again.
Prits,
Its good to hear your compliments. I’m glad your family loved the dish. I was meaning to post the vegetable biryani recipe for a long time but could’nt do it. I’ll try and post it sometime for sure. I am also yet to post the mirchi ka salan recipe. Hope to do both of them together. Not that I don’t cook veggies but its just that I do not get a chance to click at the pictures and by the time I get to it, the bowl is empty
dear sowjanya,
tq so much 4da wonderful recipe which u so simply explained without any complications…thx again. i have 4questions 4u if u dont mind.
1. Do u mix the saffron milk mixture into chicken 2marinade &
2. What is the ‘red orange color water’ ure talking about, coz i dont see dat on the ingredient list.
3. Where do u add the fried onions. to the chicken marinade or 2da cooked rice lastly?
4. Is biryaniflower ’star anise’?
Hope im not bothering u..pls write 2me asap. i really wana try ur biryani…i cant wait. thx so much
MAGGIE
Hi Maggie,
I’m glad you liked the recipe. Here are the answers to your questions. Hope it helps.
1. Do u mix the saffron milk mixture into chicken 2marinade?
- Yes I mix the saffron in the chicken marinade
2. What is the ‘red orange color water’ ure talking about, coz i dont see dat on the ingredient list.
- It is mentioned in the recipe under the section “For Cooking in Layers”. If it helps, orange colored water is nothing but orange red food color mixed with water.
3. Where do u add the fried onions. to the chicken marinade or 2da cooked rice lastly?
- Fried onions is added in the chicken marinade. I mentioned onions fried in the marinade list.
4. Is biryaniflower ’star anise’?
- Yes it is ‘Star anise’
I hope I answered all your questions. Let me know if you need any clarifications. I’d be more than happy to help you.
dear sowjanya,
thx 4replying my ridiculous questions, m so embarassed…thx again. m gonna try dis recipe asap. will let u know hw it comes out. God bless u 4blessing many ppl with ur generosity…bcoz i know of very close relatives who until now have not given me biryani recipe…even after asking a few times. so, m gonna ‘SHOCK TREATMENT’ them. how about dat sowjanya? m sooooooo happy. stay n touch pls. btw, r u from India?
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for replying back. Yes, I am from India living in the US. Good to know you liked the recipe. I hope you like it. Let me know how it turns out.
Sowjanya the garam masala(2 tbsp)mentioned in the dum biryani is whole or powder.
Hi Rajesh,
The garam masala I mentioned is powder.