Recipe for Hyderabadi Dum Biryani:

There are lot of recipes available for preparing Dum Biryani and the recipe given below is inspired by
the recipe of Sanjay Thumma of www.vahrevah.com.

I developed this whole process based on the recipe of Sanjay Thumma, recipe given in the Banne
Nawab Masala packets and my interaction with my friend and foodie, Deepak Edla who is a master
in this trade.

Lot of my friends ask me why I use Banne Nawab Masala instead of making my own masala or use
whole masalas as shown in VahChefs video but there is something about the Banne nawab masala
which adds beautiful flavour to the biryani and thats why I use it. You may use your own masalas.

This recipe differs from the authentic dum recipe in the sense that we drain off all the water from
chicken and rice and do not let out any steam during the cooking process whereas traditionally the
chefs add some water to chicken and also leave some water in the rice before sealing the handi and
also leave a gap in the sealing atta for the steam to escape once the biryani is cooked. I thought as a
home chef we might not be able to exactly know when the biryani is cooked and made this recipe
based on time.

So here it goes:

Chicken Dum Biryani with 1 kg chicken and 750 gms Basmati rice (You can use 1:1 ratio too)

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 kg (1 bird cut into 16 pieces)
Banne Nawab Chicken Masala Packet - 1 no. (It comes with 2 packets, use the big one for
Marination, small one goes into boiling rice)
Onions (big size) - 5-6 nos.
Oil - 250 gms
Curd - kg
Green Chillies - 6 nos.
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 3 spoons
Jeera - 1 spoon
Jeera Powder - 1 spoon
Dhaniya powder - 2 spoons
Black Pepper - 12-15 pods
Red Chilly Powder - 3 - 4 spoons
Salt - spoon
Turmeric - 1 spoon
Shah Jeera - spoon
Lemon - 2 (one for marination, another to use in rice)
Coriander - 200 gms
Mint leaves - 100 gms

Basmati rice - 750 gms (I use India gate or Kohinoor Basmati)
Saffron or Lemon Yellow Food Colour

The spices given above are for people who like their biryani reasonably spicy. If you want more or
less spicy, please increase / reduce the spices accordingly.
Method:

Clean and wash the chicken and drain the water completely. Slice the onions and fry them till they
are crispy golden in colour. Keep them aside. Clean and chop the coriander and mint leaves, drain
water completely. Take the biryani handi (thick bottomed, wide mouth) and add chicken, of fried
onions, curd, coriander and mint leaves, oil left over from frying the onions, banne nawab masala
and all other ingredients listed above except one lemon, saffron and rice. Mix well and keep it aside.
Ensure that the marinade does not look watery. This needs to be marinated for 1-2 hours, if possible
keep it for more time.

Soak the biryani rice in water atleast 1 hour before you start cooking it. Take a big vessel and pour
water. Please note that the water quantity should be such that rice can boil freely. Even if it looks
more than necessary, do not worry but less water makes the biryani soggy as does small vessel. The
key here is excess space.

Add the second packet of Banne Nawab masala which has some whole spices and salt to the water.
Add 2-3 spoons ghee. Cover it till it comes to boil. Once water starts boiling, add the soaked rice and
mix well. Keep it covered for some time. The rice has to be cooked till it is 80% cooked or almost
there cooked. Remove it from stove and drain the water completely, I repeat, completely.

As soon as you remove the rice vessel, put a chapati tawa on the stove on full flame.

Add the rice to the chicken marinade, spread evenly. On top add the balance fried onions, some
coriander leaves and 5-6 spoons of ghee. Squeeze a lemon all over the rice. Finally add the saffron
boiled in 3-4 spoons milk or coloring agent mixed in 3-4 spoons milk.

Seal the handi with aluminium foil so that the steam does not go out at all. I normally put three
layers in one direction and one in the other. Cover it with a lid and put it on the already hot chapati
tawa.

Cook on full flame for 5 mins and then reduce it to sim. Leave it on sim for 25 mins and then turn off
the stove. Leave the handi to cool down for 10-15 minutes.

Piping hot biryani ready. Serve it with raitha. I personally never make any salan as the biryani is good
on its own but if you like, please check up www.vahrevah.com for yummy recipe of mirchi ka salan.

The same recipe can be used for mutton biryani. Difference being - use mutton biryani masala,
marinate for 4-5 hours, cook on sim for 5 extra minutes.