Method for making the Chicken Dum Biriyani:
1- 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:
1- 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.
2-This would let the chicken absorb all the flavours of the spices and enhance the taste of your biryani.
Cooking the basmati rice:
1- While the chicken is marinating, place a deep sauce pan on the stove with 10 cups of water on high flame.
2- 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 minutes).
3- Immediately drain the rice along with the spices in a strainer. Let all the water drain off. Set aside.
Layering the Biriyani:
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.
1- 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.
2-Now arrange the entire marinated chicken at the bottom of this pot. This is your first layer.
3- Then arrange the half cooked rice on top of the chicken. This is going to be your second and last layer.
4- 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 minutes. Do not cook more than that because your chicken might get burnt.
5- 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.
6- 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!!!
7- Now seal the pot with an aluminium foil or a wet towel (squeeze all the water) or using the traditional whole wheat dough method. This allows the flavours of your chicken and rice to remain inside. Cook for 30 minutes undisturbed on the tawa on the lowest setting. Switch of the flame and let it rest for 10 mts.
8- 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.
