Dum Chicken Biryani with Saffron Milk and Crispy Fried Onions

Dum chicken biryani is a layered rice and chicken dish from India, sealed in a pot and finished in its own steam, and it is not a casual weeknight dinner. This is a dish for a day when you want the kitchen smelling of saffron, cardamom and caramelized onions, and you are happy to spend a couple of hours getting there. The dum method, where the pot is sealed tight and the layered rice and chicken cook together in trapped steam, is what gives biryani its character. Each grain of rice absorbs the spiced, yogurt-marinated chicken juices from below while the saffron milk drizzled on top perfumes everything from above. Soak the basmati for thirty minutes, then parboil it to about seventy percent doneness before layering. Only seventy? Yes, only seventy.

The rice finishes cooking in the sealed pot, so if you fully cook it beforehand, you will end up with mush. The fried onions need to be deeply golden, almost mahogany, which takes longer than you think, so give them the full fifteen to eighteen minutes. Seal the pot with a layer of foil pressed under the lid to trap every bit of steam. Serve it with a cooling raita and some sliced cucumber on the side. It feeds six and reheats well the next day, so it is the dish I would pick for company.

Marinate the Chicken and Fry the Onions

Marinate bone-in chicken pieces in yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt for at least one hour or overnight. Fry thinly sliced onions in ghee over medium heat for fifteen to eighteen minutes until deep golden brown and crispy. Remove half for garnish and leave half in the pot. Add whole spices, garlic, ginger, and the marinated chicken. Cook for eight minutes, turning once.

Parboil the Rice to Seventy Percent Doneness

Soak the basmati rice for thirty minutes, then drain. Boil a large pot of heavily salted water and cook the rice for exactly five minutes. The rice should be about seventy percent cooked with a firm bite in the center. Drain immediately and do not rinse. Rinsing removes the starch that helps the grains stick together slightly.

Layer and Steam with the Dum Method

Layer the parboiled rice evenly over the chicken in the pot. Drizzle saffron milk over the rice and scatter with mint leaves. Cover the pot tightly with foil, then place the lid on top. Cook on the lowest possible heat for twenty-five minutes without opening the lid. Remove from heat, rest five minutes, then gently fluff and fold the layers together before serving.

Dum Chicken Biryani with Saffron Milk and Crispy Fried Onions

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Kalle Bergman
• Total Time: 120 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Bone-in chicken marinated in yogurt and garam masala, layered under parboiled basmati and saffron milk, then sealed and steamed on the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Serves six.

---

Ingredients

Units USM

• 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes and drained
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 3 tablespoons warm milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

---

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken in yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Parboil the soaked and drained rice in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water for 5 minutes — the rice should be about 70 percent cooked, still firm in the center. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the sliced onions, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 18 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy. Remove half the onions and reserve for garnish.
4. Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves to the remaining onions. Cook 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade. Cook 8 minutes, turning once.
5. Layer the parboiled rice evenly over the chicken. Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. Scatter the mint leaves on top.
6. Seal the pot tightly with foil, then place the lid on top. Cook on the lowest possible heat for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time.
7. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Gently fluff the rice and fold the layers together. Garnish with reserved fried onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

• Parboil the soaked rice for exactly 5 minutes. It should still have a firm center, because it finishes cooking in the sealed pot.
• Fry the onions the full 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. Half go into the pot and half are the garnish.
• Press foil under the lid and keep the heat as low as it will go for the 25 minutes. Opening the lid lets the steam out.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 80 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 560
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 740
• Fat: 22
• Carbohydrates: 58
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 34
• Cholesterol: 110

If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These

• Chicken Biryani with Buttermilk Raita
• Malaysian Chicken Biryani
• Indian Chicken Pilaf or Pulao
• Mushroom Biryani

About the Author

Kalle Bergman

Kalle Bergman is a food writer and media entrepreneur and the founder of Honest Cooking & Travel Magazine. His writing has been regularly featured in publications like Gourmet, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and Serious Eats. He is obsessed with simple food, more often than not from his native Scandinavia or Spain.

More from Kalle Bergman →