Quick Dum Biryani Recipes

Not only in Indian households but in many parts of the world, Biryani is a favorite one-pot meal. Sunday lunch seems to be incomplete without a nice authentic homemade Biryani. Dum Biryani is considered special as it is cooked on a slow flame keeping all the flavors intact. The rice and the meat or the veggies are cooked separately and then assembled together and put on dum.

We have come up with a biryani masala recipe so that you do not have to run to the stores to buy it. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes of the dum biryani have been given below. Please read the whole recipe till the last and collect all the ingredients before starting to make the biryani. I have not used any artificial colors for this recipe as natural colors from saffron and turmeric will give a nice hue to the biryani.

Biryani rice is an essential and important ingredient in making the biryani as it is aged rice and slightly thick and will not break while making the biryani. Aged rice does not become sticky on cooking. Biryani rice can be easily bought from Amazon stores. Biryani pots are also available on Amazon and you can buy them to make a perfect biryani every time.

Ingredients

• Cinnamon stick – 3 to 4 pcs
• Black pepper – 8 to 10
• Star anise – 2
• Cloves – 4 to 5
• Green cardamom – 6 to 8 
• Black cardamom – 2
• Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp
• Mace – 2 
• Dried rose petals – ½ tbsp

Method 

• Peel the black cardamom.
• Peel the green cardamom.
• Collect all the ingredients in a bowl. 
• Grind all the ingredients in a clean and dry mixer jar.
• Store in an airtight container.
• Aromatic Biryani masala is ready.
• Use as required for the recipe.

Serving Suggestion

• Biryani masala can be used for vegetarian and non-vegetarian biryani.
• Try to finish the masala in a month’s time as it loses its fragrance with time.
• Use fresh spices so that you get aromatic biryani masala.
• Dried rose petals are easily available in the market.
• Nutmeg can be grated to obtain the nutmeg powder.

Ingredients

• Biryani Rice – 2 cups
• Biryani masala – 3 to 4 tsp or as required
• Chicken with bone – 1 full, cut into 12 pcs
• Curd – 1. 2 cups
• Onion – 2 large
• Mint leaves – handful
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric – 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder – ½ tbsp
• Roasted coriander powder – 2 tbsp
• Roasted cumin powder – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Ghee – ½  to 3/4th cup approximately
• Dried rose petals – 1 tbsp – optional
• Bay leaf – 2
• Cinnamon stick – 2 inch
• Green cardamom – 4 to 5
• Black cardamom – 2
• Black pepper whole – 6 to 8
• Cloves – 3 to 4
• Star anise – 1 
• Mace – 1 big size or 2 small
• Saffron – 1 tsp
• Milk – ½ cup 
• Kewra – 2 to 3 drops – optional
• Dough to seal the lid

Method 

• Slice the onions and deep fry in ghee till browned.
• Soak saffron in warm milk.
• Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes.
• Marinade the chicken with beaten curd, salt to taste
• Turmeric, red chilli powder, roasted coriander powder, 
• roasted cumin powder, garam masala powder, 
• ginger garlic paste and dried rose petals. 
• Rapid boil approx 2 ltrs of water.
• Add salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom.
• Add black pepper whole, cloves, star anise and mace.
• Add the soaked rice and cook till 3/4th done.
• Drain and keep it aside. Do not throw away the whole spices.
• Cool the rice a bit.
• Now add about 3 to 4 tsps prepared biryani masala powder in the rice.
• In a biryani handi/pot put 4 to 5 tbsp ghee.
• Add 2 to 3 tbsp fried onions. Reserve the rest of the fried onion for topping.
• Add the marinated chicken and cook till the rawness of ginger garlic paste goes away.
• Keep cooking and stirring till the chicken is 90 % cooked.
• Scatter the prepared rice on top.
• Scatter the reserved fried onion and the mint leaves.
• Drizzle the saffron milk.
• Put some blobs of ghee on top.
• Cover with a lid and seal the lid with dough.
• Cook on a dum in the lowest flame for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle kewra on top and serve.

Serving Suggestion

• Serve Biryani with Raita of your choice.
• Serve a green salad and masala onions on the side.
• Biryani can be had as a main meal.
• Lucknowi Dum Biryani will be slightly dry.
• Chicken Shorba can also be served as an accompaniment.
• Do not open the lid while the biryani is on dum.
• The flame has to be really low otherwise the biryani can stick to the bottom.
• Do not overcook the rice.
• Use good quality basmati biryani rice to make dum biryani.
• Kewra is optional, if you do not like kewra, it can be omitted.
• Try to cook biryani ahead of eating time as the flavours will enhance more.
• Curd used in the recipe is thick curd (not hung yoghurt).
• Curd should not be very watery as it will leave water when you start cooking.
• Those who love chicken drumsticks, this biryani can also be made with just chicken drumsticks instead of whole chicken.
• Use a heavy bottomed dum biryani handi or vessel.
• Spice level can be adjusted by adding more chilli powder or adding slit spicy green chillies to the marinade.
• The amount of masala mixed to the rice can be altered as per choice.
• However the rice should be well coated with the prepared biryani masala.
• Do not over brown the onions as they will taste bitter.
• Milk used is single toned for this recipe.
• To knead the dough, use wheat flour and some water. Dough should not be too tight nor too loose. 

Ingredients

• Mixed veggies – cauliflower, peas, carrots and beans.
• Biryani Rice –  1.5 cups
• Curd – 1 cup
• Onion – 2 large
• Mint leaves – handful
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric – 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Roasted coriander powder – 1 tbsp
• Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Black pepper powder – 2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Ghee – ½  to 3/4th cup approx
• Dried rose petals – 1 tbsp – optional
• Bay leaf – 2
• Cinnamon stick – 2 inch
• Green cardamom – 4 to 5
• Black cardamom – 2
• Black pepper whole – 6 to 8
• Cloves – 3 to 4
• Star anise – 1 
• Mace – 1 big size or 2 small
• Saffron – 1 tsp
• Milk – ½ cup 
• Kewra – 2 to 3 drops – optional
• Dough to seal the lid

Method 

• Slice the onions and deep fry in ghee till brown.
• Prepare cauliflower florets, cut diagonally the beans and the carrots.
• Shell the peas.
• Soak saffron in warm milk.
• Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes.
• Marinade the veggies with beaten curd, salt to taste
• Turmeric, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, roasted coriander powder, 
• Roasted cumin powder, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, 
• Ginger-garlic paste and dried rose petals. 
• Boil approx 2 liters of water.
• Add salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom.
• Add black pepper whole, cloves, star anise, and mace.
• Add the soaked rice and cook till 3/4th done.
• Drain and keep it aside. Do not throw the whole spices.
• Cool the rice a bit.
• Now add about 2 to 3 tsp prepared biryani masala powder to the rice.
• In a biryani handi/pot put 2 to 3 tbsp ghee.
• Add 2 to 3 tbsp fried onions. Reserve the rest of the fried onion for topping.
• Add the marinated veggies and cook till the rawness of ginger garlic paste goes away.
• Keep cooking and stirring till the veggies are still crunchy.
• Scatter the prepared rice on top.
• Scatter the reserved fried onion and the mint leaves.
• Drizzle the saffron milk.
• Put some blobs of ghee on top.
• Cover with a lid and seal the lid with dough.
• Cook on a dum in the lowest flame for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle kewra on top and serve.

Serving Suggestion

• Serve the vegetable dum biryani with boondi raita or vegetable raita.
• Biryani can be served as a one-pot meal for small gatherings.
• Dum Biryani should be put on dum on a very low flame.
• Dum can also be given in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Do not overcook the rice as biryani will become soggy.
• The amount of curd can be adjusted, in case you are looking for some more moisture in your biryani.
• Spice level can be adjusted by adjusting black pepper and red chilli powder.
• While frying the onions, if you sprinkle some salt, it will give a crunchier yield.
• Serve a nice cooled cucumber salad on the side.
• Serve masala onions with the dum biryani.
• To make masala onions, cut onions into roundels, add salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, dry mango powder, chopped green chilies, lemon juice, and some chat masala.
• Our winner was Roopak Chat masala in our chat masala review so you can use the same.
• When boiling the water, put 4 to 5 tsp salt and taste the water for the saltiness.
• A piece of burning coal can be kept on the lid of the dum biryani vessel which will give slow heat from the top too. However, this step is optional.
• Milk to soak saffron not only gives the color and aroma but also moisture to the biryani while it’s on dum.
• Home-made biryani masala is better than store-bought as you know the ingredients going in and homemade biryani masala is very aromatic.
• Cooking biryani is an art and needs patience and time. Do not leave it unattended to get a perfect Dum Biryani.
• While serving mix with light hands to get a bite of both the rice and veggies.

Do write to us back after trying out the Dum Biryani recipes!

The sealed lid can be opened on the dining table and surely it would impress the guests. If you are unable to make the perfect biryani for the first time, do not lose hope as with practice you will get the technicalities of making the perfect biryani.

Certain points to be kept in mind are not overcooking the rice. Secondly, the ingredients used should be fresh and the spices should be really aromatic. Moisture comes from the water which the curd would leave and from the saffron milk which evaporates and forms steam. If you still find it less, some water can be sprinkled on top of the rice before putting it to dum. Always use light hands to break the seal followed by mixing rice with the meat or the veggies. Care should be taken so that the rice does not break. Enjoy your Biryani and leave us feedback.