Hyderabadi Dum Biryani
Fragrant basmati rice layered with saffron-marinated chicken and sealed with dough, then steam-cooked until the grains are long, fluffy, and infused with every spice.
🛒 Ingredients
- 1.2kg chicken thighs, bone-in
- 500g aged basmati rice
- 1 cup full-fat yogurt
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp saffron, steeped in 4 tbsp warm milk
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 4 tbsp biryani masala
- handful fresh mint leaves
- handful fresh cilantro
- 4 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick (whole spices for rice)
- dough for sealing (atta and water)
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Deep-fry onions in ghee until crispy golden. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Marinate chicken with yogurt, biryani masala, salt, and half the fried onions for 4 hours.
- 3
Par-cook basmati rice with whole spices in heavily salted water until 70% done. Drain.
- 4
Spread marinated chicken on the bottom of a heavy pot.
- 5
Layer par-cooked rice over chicken. Drizzle saffron milk over the rice.
- 6
Top with remaining fried onions, mint, and cilantro.
- 7
Seal the pot with dough. Cook on high 5 minutes, then lowest heat for 45 minutes.
- 8
Break the seal at the table; mix gently from the bottom.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →The dough seal (dum) is essential — it traps all the steam inside.
- →Never stir the biryani while cooking — layering is the whole point.
- →Aged basmati (1-2 years old) cooks fluffier than fresh — look for it at Indian grocers.
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