Hyderabadi Murg Dum Biriyani...!!!

                                   

           

Biriyani..!!! The single word is enough to bring water in the mouth of all the foodlovers,especiallly the Indians.Who doesnt love this aromatic, delicate, delicious, rich ,one pot rice preparation...????
But Before I start to write the recipe I should describe a little about the dish.
Biriyani,Biriani,buriyani,beryani or beriani  is a set of rice-based foods made with spices,rice (usually basmati), and Chicken/Mutton/Fish/Eggs or Vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word 'beryā(n)', which means "fried" or "roasted".Biriyani was invented in the kitchen of Mughal Emperors. Lahore,Kashmir,Kolkata,Lucknow,Hyderabas and Delhi/Agra are the main centres of biryani cuisine.There are two versions of Biriyani.They are,1.Kachha(raw) and 2.Pakki(cooked).

Before I came to Mumbai,I never even thought to prepare this at home as in Kolkata one can have delicious Biriyani everywhere leaving apart the famous restaurants like Rahmania or Ali baba. But in Mumbai the preparation of Biriyani is bit different (Tawa Biriyani) and somehow never able to satisfy our taste buds which is been seasoned with the Dum Biriyani .


This was the first time I prepared Biriyani at my home in a simple easier way,but I should mention it was extra-ordinarily good .It made us so happy that atleast it will give a rest of our restaurant hopping habits in weekends in search of Biriyani,(LOL).

Here is the Recipe:

Ingredients:

•  Chicken:500gm(washed and drained completely)
• 1 tsp saffron
• 1/2 cup luke warm milk
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil
• For Marination:
• 3/4 cup  of thick unsweetened yogurt
• 1 medium chopped Onion
• 1 tbsps Ginger paste
• 1tbsp Garlic paste
• 1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
• 3/4 tbsp coriander pwd
•  Lemon Juice(1-2 tbsp)
•  Salt(as per taste)
• For Biriyani Masala(make powder):
• 8 cloves
• 1″ cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom
• 3/4 tsp Shah Jeera(Caraway seed)
• 12 Pepper corns
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1/2 of a whole Nutmeg(Jaiphal)
• 4-5 pieces of Mace(javitri)
• Dry red chilli(optonal).
• To Cook The Rice:
• 3 Cups of long grain very good quality basmati rice.
• 6 cloves
• 3 cardamoms
• 1″ cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tbsps salt
• water
• Few More Ingredients:
• 4 hard boiled Eggs
• 2 Large Potato(halves)
• 1tsp Biriyani Masala
• Salt
 
 

Procedure:

• Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala powder.
• Fry the potatoes and the hard boiled eggs in a pan with little oil and pinch of salt and mix well with 1 tsp of biriyani masala.You could avoid the use of biriyani masala in patato and eggs.
• Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs.
• .Meanwhile,cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom,  oil, salt till its half cooked.
• Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate.
• Allow to cool under the fan.
• Add the saffron to the  1 cup of  luke warm milk and combine well.Keep it aside.
• Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
• Add one tsp of ghee also over the chicken.
• Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, and addthe fried potatoes,then pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice.
• Now pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice.
• Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over.
• Now and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.
• Close the vessel with a tight lid or keep a heavy weight to close the lid.
• If you are using the pressure cooker then close the cooker but don't put the whistle and let it cook for 25 mins on low-medium flame and after that, let it stand on low heat for 10 minutes and then switch off the flame.
• Don't open the lid before serving.
• Now your hyderabadi Dum Murg Biriyani is ready,serve it with raita or curry of your choice.
• I should mention that in this whole process I just avoid the use of coriander leaves and mint leaves,if you want you should use them also.

 

                                                   Enjoy Your Food..!!