Mouth-Watery Hyderabadi Biryani

Get ready for the ultimate ecstasy!

Behold! Here comes the most authentic and original, the most researched and proven recipe to cook a delicious awesomely striking mouth-watery Hyderabadi Biryani that would enlighten your taste buds and take you to the moment of Ecstasy.

Hyderabad (also known as the pearl city) is one of the biggest cities in the southern part of India, the capital of the state Andhra Pradesh. It is here where the world famous Hyderabadi Biryani originated from. Hyderabad was ruled by the a rich and famous royal family referred to as the Nizams. There were around 49 Biryani variations in the Nizam's kitchen. These Biryanis were made up of quail (a bird), fish, deer, chicken and hare. One of the popular variation is known as the 'Kacchi Yeqni', a biryani made up of rice and marinated meat.

The following recipe outlines how a Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani can be cooked.

A 'Dum' is a sealed pot, often a clay or a metallic pot. 'Dum' actually means 'Force'. Out here, the biryani is cooked by the force of heat..

Hydrabadi Dum Biryani is essential cooked by layering marinated chicken and basmati rice in the right proportion. In order to ensure that the dish looks magnificent, follow these tips:

- Wash the rice three to four times. This ensures that the starch is completely wiped out of the surface of the rice.
- Before cooking the rice, dip it in luke warm water for approximately 25 - 30 minutes. This ensures that the rice won't break during cooking
- Don't stir the rice in the pot. Ensure that the pot has a wide bottom
- Just half cook the rice; Leave it hard; We'll cook it completely when we la

The following is the 3 Step process for cooking the Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani:

1. Marinate the chicken
2. Partially cook the basmati rice
3. Layer the rice and the marinated chicken together

STEP 1 - MARINATING YOUR CHICKEN

Get around 750 grams of washed boneless chicken. This much chicken serves 2.

You can also use chicken with bones. You can increase the quantity of the chicken but may need to vary the ingredients accordingly.

Prepare 3 TBSPNS of Ginger and Garlic paste.

Finely chop around 12 - 15 Pudina Leaves (Mint Leaves)

Chop around 12 - 15 Coriander Leaves

Soak 3 pinches of Saffron in 1/3 cup of milk.

2 onions (if big) / 3 onions (if small) - chop them finely and fry them  golden brown in a cooking oil of your choice. Suggested cooking oil is Sunflower oil. You would need at least 1/3 cup of oil.

Arrange 1 cup (tea sized cup) of Yoghurt (dahee)

2 Table Spoons of Garam masala

1/3 table spoon of Turmeric Powder (Haldi)

2 table spoons of Chilli Powder would be required (you can decrease this if you want it to be less spicy)

1/3 tables spoon of salt

Now mix all the ingredients above (except the cooked onions). Let them be in a big bowl for 1 to 2 hours. The more the better. The chicken will absorb the spices if kept for a longer duration. You may refrigerate the bowl during the marination process.

After the marination, golden fry the onions and then add the marinated chicken. 

STEP 2 - Prepare the basmati rice

Wash the basmati rice with cold water.

Dip it in water for 30 minutes and then drain out the water.

5 Whole Green Cardamoms

4 Cloves 

3 Bay leaves

1 table spoon of Jeera (Black Cumin Seeds) 

1 Annasapuvvu (biryani flower) 

2 Table spoons of Ghee or Cooking Oil. Ghee would add better taste.

4 to 5 table spoons of salt

Half cook the rice in water, by putting it in a deep wide pan. When the rice appears to be half cooked, shut the heat.

For half cooking, the ideal time is 3 to 4 minutes.

After half cooking the rice, drain out the extra water.

STEP 3 - Layering time

Now put your wide and deep pan on top of the stove. It is good if it has a prostrate bottom.

Add one pinch of artificial red or orange food color.

Pour in the cooked onions along with the marinated chicken. This is layer 1. 

Next, pour the half cooked rice on top of the marinated chicken. This is layer 2.

Pour 2 - 3 table spoons of cooking oil on top of the rice. 

Cover the pot with a heavy plate or the pot cover. You need to ensure that any steam doesn't go out.

Cook on a high heat for around 4 minutes. This much time is enough, otherwise the chicken might get burnt.

Shut the heat under this pot after 4 minutes.

Now put a flat pan (tawa) on high heat. When it is really hot, set the heat to the lowest, and then place the biryani pot on top of the flat pan. Let it heat for 30 minutes. This will ensure that the chicken gets cooked properly and all the biryani flavors propagate across.

You can now serve the pot dish. Your DUM is ready. You may add some salted cashew nuts as topping.

Enjoy your Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani.