Chicken Dum Biryani | Easy Chicken Biryani | South Indian Chicken Biryani

Off late my husband has raised an issue about me and he kept complaining saying that I make all new dishes when guests come and later don't repeat the dish for him. My only response this complaint is "You rule out the fact that along with the guests you also relished the food", anyways I felt totally bad for him and thought of satisfying him a bit and did the Chicken Dum Biryani  This is my total take on the dum biryani and can be made in less than an hour. By the time the biryani is done you could clean up the dishes and other work and sit down for a lovely meal at home. 

Well before I go to the recipe would want to share with you something that made me happy a few days back. One of my close friend who was not so fond of cooking surprisingly left this comment in my blog last week, I was totally elated and felt happy for her :-) thought of sharing this with all of you 

" My lovely friend,

Though i don't prefer to cook, your blog has started changing me. Believe me , you have got couple of fans from my office too ..I just love the way you present and detail your cooking in the blog. You are becoming an inspiration from me to cook....love you for that.." 

Recipe - Own

Serves - 4 people

Cook & prep time - 1 hr

Ingredients 

For Marination:

Chicken with bones - 1 kg/ 1 baby chicken without skin

Curd - 1 cup

Salt- as per taste

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Corriander powder - 4 tsp

Jeera/ cumin powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Basmathi Rice - 3 cups

Whole spices - bay leaf-1, cardamom-2, cinnamon stick - 2, cloves-2, star anise-1, jeera-1tsp

Onion - 1 big sliced thin

Tomato- 1 big chopped fine

ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Whole spices - bay leaf-1, cardamom-2, cinnamon stick - 2, cloves-2, star anise-1

4-5 green chilli

Oil - 3 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

coriander and mint leaves- handful/ 1/4 bunch each

saffron water/ orange food color water - 2 tbsp

Method

• Was the chicken in cold running water several times, drain all the water and set aside in a bowl mix all the ingredients to marinate and add the chicken to it and set it refrigerator for 1/2 hour. 
• Prepare raita and chop the onions for the biryani
• Wash and clean the rice in cold running water and let it soak for 30 mins
• Once the chicken in marinade for 20 minutes  Take 2 vessels, one heavy bottom vessel (the one you will need for biryani)and the other to boil rice, heat oil in the biryani vessel and ghee to this add the whole spices and let it fry for 1 minute and release the flavor, to this add the onions and saute for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. now add the green chilli and ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes. 
• In the other vessel boil 6 cups of water and add the whole spices and rice along with salt (adding salt is very important) when the rice is 40% cooked transfer it to a vessel straining all the excess water, set aside
• Now add the tomatoes and cook until they become mushy, add the marinated chicken to this and mix well until well combined.
• Now to this masala add the cooked rice and layer it on top, sprinkle some mint and coriander leaves and pour the color/ saffron water on top and close the lid tight.Its ideal to keep this vessel on top of a dosa tawa/ skillet in case your vessel is not heavy bottom. Let it cook for 20-25 minutes in medium-low flame.

Cooks Wisdom

- Using tawa as a base is to stop the meat from burning in the direct flame

- Adding salt to boiling rice is very important

- using food color water is optional, incase using saffron water just dilute it in 2 tbsp of milk and pour on top of rice.

- Before serving mix well and check if the chicken in cooked wel