Chicken Dum Briyani

PREPARATION TIME: 1 day
COOKING TIME: 1 hour
FEEDS: 10 guests

Dum cooking
Par-cooked food is kept in a spherical shaped clay pot with minimal amount of water. The lid is placed and sealed with a paste of flour and water. The flames are put out, leaving a bed of hot coals. The heat creates the steam; the steam condenses and rolls down the curved walls. In other words, the steam is choked before it can escape, leading to the term 'Dum?. For some of the dishes, the coals may also be placed on the lid to distribute heat evenly.

I don?t bother to cook on coals ?.hello it?s the 21st Century; although that?s the most accurate way of making any dum briyani. All is needed is a pot of any kind, non-stick or even a rice cooker?. Here?s my method.

Ingredients

A.
Basmati Rice - 5 large cups approx 1 kgs
Large onions ? 2 no?sLarge Tomato ? 1 no?s
Garlic and Ginger (equal amounts of both blended into a fine paste) ? 1tbs
Butter/Ghee ? 1tbs
Cinnamon - 1 stickGreen cardomom ? 3 pieces
Star anise ? 1 whole
Garam masala powder ? 1tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Evaporated Milk ? 1 cup
Saffron/ permitted yellow food colouring ? a few strands/drops
Water ? 5 cups same measurement of rice

B.
Whole Chicken - 1 ½ -2kgs ( cut into 10-20pcs ) omit the head and feet
Large onions - 3 no's
Large Tomatoes - 1 no's
Medium size potatoes - 4 no ( cut into quarters )
Cinnamon - 3 sticks
Green cardomom ? 6 pieces
Garam masala ? 1 tsp
Curry powder ? 2 tbs
Star anise - 2 whole
Curry leaves ? 50 gm

To Marinate chicken:
Curd/plain yoghurt ? 1/2 cup *
Garlic - 6 to 8 pods (blended to a paste)*
Ginger ? 100gms (blended to a paste)*salt to taste*
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp*
Chili powder ? 1 tsp*Oil ? 1 ½ tbs
Fresh green coriander chopped fine.

250 gms wheat flour + water to form a pliable dough

Almonds - 8 to 10 pieces ( whole ) optional
Raisins - 12 to 15 pieces optional( whole )

To prepare chicken:
1. Clean and wash the chicken pieces and keep aside.
2. Marinate chicken pieces overnight with the marinating ingredients. Chill in the
refrigerator.

To Prepare Chicken Gravy ? use ingredients B
1. Heat a pot or a deep wok and add butter or ghee. Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom
and star anise. Add sliced onions and sugar; stir fry till caramelized.
2. Add marinated chicken pieces to onions and stir till well amalgamated. Add curry
powder, potatoes and tomatoes. Mix well, cover with lid and leave to cook till
potatoes are soft and chicken is tender. Check if chicken is done after 30
minutes and add curry leaves. Leave to simmer for further 10 mins. Set aside.

To prepare Rice:
Soak rice for an hour. Wash and drain and leave aside.
1. In a vessel add butter and leave to melt on low. Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom
pods and star anise.
2. Add onions and fry till soften. Mix in garlic and ginger paste and fry till
fragrant.
3. Stir in tomato and add in drained rice. Stir till rice is well coated with the
butter and other ingredients.
4. Add water, milk, salt and sugar. Stir only once. Bring to boil. Simmer on low
till all the liquid is absorbed.

To assemble briyani:
1. Separate the chicken pieces from the gravy and set aside.
2. Use a fork and separate the rice grains and set aside.
3. In a new vessel or a rice cooker, add one layer of rice followed by some chicken
pieces and some gravy.
4. Add the food colouring and some coriander leaves. Repeat steps till rice and
chicken pieces are layered.
5. Knead the wheat flour to make a nice dough. Take a right fitting lid for the
vessel, cover and seal the lid to the vessel with the wheat dough; put the gas on
simmer and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes.
6. Remove and garnish with almonds, raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander.
Serve hot with condiments.