Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani 

PS- Recipe credits to one of my best friend Sheeza, this is slightly modified version as I wanted the biryani to be more moist, and spicy

Best biryani in the world is probably the way the hyderabadi's make it. Its our pride, and we cant get it wrong!

Lot of people think making biryani is a lenghty process and takes a lot of time. Actually if you have all the ingredients ready it would take just an hour to make chicken/mutton biryani. 

Secret of making a good dum biryani is using the right vessel/kadai to make it. I use a handi I bought from prestige in which we can cook for about 4 to 5 people. Wrong vessel can burn the biryani or overcook chicken.

Ingredients for marination ( The more time the chicken is marinated the more juicy chicken pieces will be, so if you are not in hurry let the marination sit for few hours)

Boneless chicken 500 gms
Sour curd 250 gms
Mint leaves 2 cups
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Green chillies 4 
Green cardamon 2
Black cumin seeds(Shahi Jeera) 2 tsp
Cloves 3to4
Cinamon 2 inch stick
Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Garam masala/chicken masala 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil and ghee 2 tsp each
Onions 2 large

Ingredients for Rice

Basmati rice 250 gms ( I prefer daawat basmati biryani rice, they have great flavour and remain long after cooking also)
Bay leaves 2
Cinamon 1 inch 
Green cardamon 1
Black cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Clove 1 or 2
Salt to taste( Remember that we added salt also in the marination, so add very little)

For biryani
Lemon juice 2tsp
Saffron mixed in quarter cup of milk

Method

Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.

Grind the mint leaves, coriander, green chillies with cloves, cardamon, cinamon, cumin seeds together to make a fine paste. 

In a kadai add oil and chopped onions(long slit) and fry them until they turn into golden colour. keep checking them so they wont burn. 

Wash the chicken and add the masala paste, gg paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and half of the fired onion crushed, mix them all together. Cover it and let it marinate while you cook the rice. 

In a small vessel, put all the ingredients under making rice with water and add the basmati rice. Pour some ghee on top and let the rice cook until its half done.(Because we cook the rice on steam with the chicken we have to make sure rice is cooked only half so that it wont become gooey) Drain the excess water and keep it aside. 

Now in a handi spread the marinated chicken pieces, then the onions and spread rice evenly as first layer. Now add the left over curd marination on the rice with the remaining fried onions and 2 tsp lemon juice. 

Spread the 2nd layer of the rice and sprinkle some mint leaves, coriander leaves, ghee, mix few saffron sticks in milk and spread it over the rice.

Cover it with lid and cook it on low flame for 20 to 30 minutes and keep rotating the vessel around so as to heat the whole vessel evenly. In some time you will see steam coming out of the vessel, turn of the stove.

Garnish with some chopped coriander, and seve hot with any raita or the spicy mirchi ka salan!! 
Will post mirchi ka salan recipe soon.