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Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biryani
A 101-minute Indian dinner for 4 — 720 calories per serving.
per serving, estimated
Fragrant basmati rice layered with spiced, yogurt-marinated chicken and sealed to steam in its own juices — a classic Hyderabadi dum biryani, rich with whole spices and caramelized onions.
Ingredients
Serves 4 · custom servings available with a Kiwi account
- 2½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs (cut into large pieces)
- 2 cups basmati rice (rinsed and soaked 30 minutes, drained)
- ¾ cup whole-milk plain yogurt
- 1 cup fried onions (birista) (thinly sliced yellow onion, deep-fried until golden and crisp)
- 2 yellow onions (thinly sliced, for frying)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (for frying onions)
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger (finely grated)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 green chilis (slit lengthwise (serrano or Thai))
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves (loosely packed, roughly torn)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (loosely packed, roughly chopped)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 5 whole green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (2-inch piece)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- ¼ teaspoon saffron (steeped in 3 tbsp warm milk)
- 3 tablespoons Whole milk (warm, for steeping saffron)
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 6 cups water (for parboiling rice)
Steps
Every amount is written into the step where you use it.
Steps marked like this need your attention — stay close so nothing burns.
- Steep ¼ teaspoon saffron in 3 tablespoons warm whole milk and set aside to bloom for at least 10 minutes. 2 min
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with ¾ cup yogurt, 1½ tablespoons grated ginger, 6 minced garlic cloves, 3 slit green chilies, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and half the fried onions (½ cup); toss well, cover, and marinate at room temperature while you prepare everything else. 8 min
- Timing-sensitive step. Heat ½ cup neutral oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high; add the 2 thinly sliced yellow onions and fry, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until deep golden and crisp. 25 min
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried onions to a paper-towel-lined plate; reserve the onion oil in the pot. 2 min
- Timing-sensitive step. In the pot with the reserved onion oil (or ghee), add 5 cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, and 1 star anise; fry over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. 2 min
- Timing-sensitive step. Add 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and ½ teaspoon turmeric to the pot and stir for 30 seconds.
- Timing-sensitive step. Add the marinated chicken (with all its marinade) to the spiced pot; spread into an even layer and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and the marinade has reduced and coats the meat. 10 min
- Timing-sensitive step. While the chicken cooks, bring 6 cups water to a rolling boil in a large separate pot with 1 teaspoon kosher salt; add the drained basmati rice and parboil for exactly 6 minutes (the rice should be about 70% cooked — still firm in the center), then drain immediately. 10 min
- Spread the parboiled rice evenly over the chicken layer in the pot; scatter the remaining ½ cup fried onions, ½ cup torn mint leaves, and ½ cup chopped cilantro over the rice. 3 min
- Drizzle the saffron milk and 2 tablespoons ghee over the top of the rice layer.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (seal the edge with a strip of dough or foil if needed to trap steam), reduce heat to the lowest setting, and cook on dum for 25 minutes — do not lift the lid. 25 min
- Remove from heat and let the biryani rest, lid on, for 10 minutes before opening. 10 min
- Gently fluff and mix the rice and chicken together with a wide spoon or spatula, then serve directly from the pot. 2 min
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Nutrition figures are estimates derived from public reference data and automated calculation. They are not verified by a dietitian and are not medical or dietary advice. Recipes, cooking times, quantities and allergen information are generated automatically and may contain inaccuracies. Kiwi’s allergen filtering is automated and is not a guarantee — it can miss an allergen where an ingredient’s name does not disclose what it contains, or where a product’s formulation differs from the generic ingredient. You must read ingredient labels and confirm for yourself that any food is safe for the people you are feeding. If anyone in your household has a severe or life-threatening food allergy, treat this page as a starting point only. See our full terms.