Hyderabadi Kachi Chicken Dum Biryani

Hyderabadi  Dum Biryani,  a  classic dish of the Mughal Nizams is an eye-catching  aromatic rice loved by all. We all love biryanis, but when it comes to preparing them most of us, step back beause of the tedious process. But trust me, once you get used to the right process, it is such an easy breezy way of making restaurant style biryanis. You will adore it.
There are 2 methods of making this biryani - kacha (kachi) Method and Pakki Method. In Kachi method the raw ingredients are just marinated and placed at the botom of a utensil and layered with partially cooked rice, saffron etc.,sealed & cooked on a slow dum process, trapping the steam inside for even cooking. Pakki is the other method where the meat  and rice are cooked separately  and then the rice, saffron etc are layered , sealed and cooked on a dum process for a shorter span.The authentic way of cooking these biryanis is by sealing the mouth of the utensil with dough to trap the steam and aroma. Earlier I had posted chicken dum biryani recipe (Pakki method), today will be sharing the Kachi method. Same ingredients are used in both the methods, only the cooking procedure differs. Both taste same too, except that the meat in Kachi Biryani is soft, mouth melting and more aromatic.
Using a pressure cooker too we can trap the dum but this is most preferable only for Pakki  Biryani, but I have tried today making Kachi using Cooker method. Do not let it whistle, this is one of the simplest and mess free methods, if you are worried that rice might get burnt beneath , just place it over a hot tawa and cook for 10 mins on a low to medium flame. 

Ingredients for making of whole spice powder: 

 

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN

Mint Flavored Chicken Biryani

Will be writing the recipe soon

 

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN

Prawns Dum Biryani

Sea food lovers will enjoy this dish. A very easy and quick recipe, though you need all the essential spices here. Prawns gets cooked very fast, so you can finish this biryani in 35 minutes.

Ingredients :

For Marination: (30 minutes)
King Prawn --  1/2 kg
Ginger Garlic  Paste --  1 tsp
Lemon Juice -- 1  tsp

For Cooking Rice:
Dabur Basmati rice - 2 cup
Oil  -  1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2nos.
Cardamom - 2 nos.
Shah Jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 in piece
Bay leaves - 1 no.
              
For Masala :
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Black Cardamom - 2 nos.
1tbsp Cumin seeds
1tbsp Saunf
Cloves - 4 nos.
Star anise 2 nos.
15 black pepper corns
Bay leaves - 1 no.
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
coconut oil - 2 tbsp                         
Onion (medium) - 5 nos.   
2 tbsp garlic fine chops
1 tbsp  ginger fine chops                   
Tomato chopped - 1 nos. 
10-15 soya chunks (previously soaked in warm water, drained and kept aside)            
Green chillies fine chops - 4 nos.  
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp   
Thick yogurt  - 4 tbsp      
Kasturi methi leaves - 1 tbsp     
Mint  Leaves fine chops - 1 cup                        
Cilantro/coriander - a handful                 
Method :
Marination :
Marinate the shrimp with the given items for minimum half an hour or do it over night in refrigerator. This ensures shimp to be juicy when it's cooked.

Masala preparation:

• Take a kadai  and add both ghee and coconut oil together. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, pepper once the ghee melts and fry for few minutes. 

• Add the green chilli, Chopped ginger-garlic saute well for 2 minutes.

• Now add the onions anf fry well till it turns transparent. When onions is done, add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder and a tbsp salt. Saute well for 3-4 minutes.

• Add the coriander powder fry for a minute, then add the tomatoes followed by yogurt and cook well till the content blends well.

• Add the mint & coriander leaves and fry well for 3 minutes.

• When mint/coriander leaves are done , add the kasturi methi and fry well for few seconds.

• Finally add the marinated prawns and the Soya chunks & adjust the salt here. While the prawns is getting cooked, we will start making Basmati Rice.

Basmati Rice cooking procedure:

• 2 cups of Dabur Basmati rice (Washed well and soaked for 30 mins, For 2 cups of rice add 3 1/2 cups of water. Note: Here I haven't added 1/2 cup more as the rice is already soaked, it contains little of water absorbed in it).
• Cook the Basmati in a wide vessel.
• First let the water boil well, after which add the drained basmati & little of salt. Let it boil well for 2-3 mins under high flame, after which close the lid and keep the flame to lowest heat. The Rice will need 10-15 minutes to get cooked. (See that you don't add much salt here) 
• Keep watching the rice, it should only cook to 90% (You will see little bit water under rice, and this will be absorbed while it is cooked along Prawns under Dum). When you see its done transfer the upper layer onto the Prawns masala which is ready, add all the rice (the bottom most rice going on to the top). 
• Now layer it with some chopped mint leaves and 2-3 tbsp of Kesar water (choice).
• Now close the lid and keep the heat to lowest and let the contents get cooked in lower heat for 8-10 minutes.
• After 8 minutes switch off the burner and let the cooker be keep aside for 5 minutes. When you open you can see that all the content have dried and the rice and Prawns layer have been cooked to perfect!!! I have mixed the bottom content before serving, in the picture below. Wow, I just love Dum biryani !!! Enjoy the Biryani with a side dish along Raita. 

Chicken Dum Biryani

A very simple and easy recipe which you can make in home. And believe me it will taste as great than what you have outside :P
Biryani is something which I learnt to make since my high school days. And I must say, that I m now expertised in making it :P
I have posted my way of quick Chicken Biryani, which is filled with flavor of all the healthy spices. Preparation time is Max within 1 hour! This is a quick recipe because here I have not marinated the chicken previously. The chicken here gets equally all the wonderful aroma while it is getting cooked along the spice content. Try one and I am sure you will crave to make it again & again!!!

Ingredients:
1/2 kg chicken
1 tbsp Saunf (coursly powdered using pestle and mortar)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 star anise
2" Cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
15 whole black pepper corns
6 garlic flakes finely chopped
1" ginger finely chopped
2 green chillies chopped
6 medium Onions chopped
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder (choice, I have used it)
1 tbsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
5-6 tbsp Coconut oil
2 tbsp Ghee

Making of green paste: Make a fine paste of the following:
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 fist full of coriander leaves
8 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
4-5 tbsp fresh yogurt

• Take a medium Pressure cooker. Add oil, when it heats, start fry all the spices one by one (Cumin, Saunf, Star anise, cinnamon, whole black pepper corns, cloves). Let the spices roast well to leave a plesant aroma , now add chopped ginger-garlic and green chillies. Saute well for 2-3 mins.

• Add the Onions, add a tsp of salt and fry until the onions turns transparent.

• Now add Red chilli powder & turmeric powder and saute well for 2 mins, followed by cumin and coriander powder with repeated stiring.

•  Now add the Green masala paste and saute well under medium flame for 4-5 minutes, till the raw smell of the masala vanish.

• Add the Chicken pieces and stir well for 3-5 minutes. Now close the pressure cooker lid and keep the chicken to get cooked under small flame for 10-15 mins. Remember adjust the salt here. [REMEMBER WE ARE NOT USING THE WHISTLE HERE]

• See that in process of cooking you don't add any amount of water to chicken, let it get cooked in its own juice. While the chicken is getting cooked, we will start making Basmati Rice.

Basmati Rice cooking procedure:

• 2 1/2 cups of Dabur Basmati rice (Washed well and soaked for 30 mins, For 2 1/2 cups of rice add 4 1/2 cups of water. Note: Here I haven't added 1/2 cup more as the rice is already soaked, it contains little of water absorbed in it).
• Cook the Basmati in a wide vessel.
• First let the water boil well, after which add the drained basmati & little of salt. Let it boil well for 2-3 mins under high flame, after which close the lid and keep the flame to lowest heat. The Rice will need 10-15 minutes to get cooked. (See that you don't add much salt here) 
• Keep watching the rice, it should only cook to 90% (You will see little bit water under rice, and this will be absorbed while it is cooked along chicken under Dum). When you see its done transfer the upper layer onto the chicken masala which is ready, add all the rice (the bottom most rice going on to the top). 
• Now layer it with some chopped mint leaves and 2-3 tbsp of Kesar water (choice).
• Now close the lid and keep the heat to lowest and let the contents get cooked in lower heat for 8-10 minutes. [REMEMBER WE ARE NOT USING THE WHISTLE HERE]

• After 8-10 minutes switch off the burner and let the cooker be keep aside for 5 minutes. When you open you can see that all the content have dried and the rice and chicken layer have been cooked to perfect!!! Wow, I just love Dum biryani!!! Enjoy the Biryani with a side dish along Raita.

Simple Chicken Ghee Rice

Ingredient:

Raisens 2 tbso

Cashew nuts 2 tbsp

4 tbsp Ghee

3 medium chopped onions

2 cups of cooked Basmati

1 tbsp garam masala powder

Cooked chicken pieces (I took 8-10 pieces, which were already been cooked along fried onion, garlic-ginger and Spices)

Salt to taste

• Fry the raisens, cashew in ghee, add the onions, garam masala powder and fry till golden brown.
• Now take a kadai, add the cooked Basmati rice, and mix well with friend onion stuff and the cooked chicken pieces, salt to taste.
• Add chopped coriander if needed.