Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients :

1 kg Chicken (Washed & drained)
4 cups Basmati Rice (soaked & washed)
4 large finely chopped onion
2 chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup luke warm water with 1/4 tsp saffron (kesar) dissolved
1 tsp orange food color (optional)
Salt
2-3 tbsp Ghee

For Chicken marination :

3/4th cup thick curd
2 tbsp ginger - garlic - green chilli paste
1 tbsp red chilly pd
1/4 tsp turmeric pd
3/4 tsp coriander - cumin pd
1 tbsp garam masala pd
1 lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
3/4 cup chopped mint leaves (pudina)
1 tbsp kasoori methi 
Salt to taste


Dry Garam masala :

1 inch cinnamon stick
5-6 cloves
4 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
10-12 black pepper cloves
1 tbsp cumin seeds

Rice Preparation :

Marinate chicken with the above marination ingredient. Keep aside for 4 hrs or minimum 2 hrs.

Soak basmati rice for atleast 30 mins. Drain and cook Basmati rice in water along with bayleaf, cloves, black and green cardamon, star anise, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, black pepper, oil and salt till its half cooked. Strain the rice and spread in a wide plate to cool.

Heat a 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and saute for 7-8 mins till caramelized. Keep aside. 

Heat ghee in a vessel. Add all the dry garam masala ingredients (above), remaining half cup chopped onions and saute till brown. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for few mins. Add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 5 mins. Then reduce the flame and cook the chicken for few mins.

Spread half of the cooked basmati rice over the chicken layer. Pour half tsp of ghee over the rice. Spread the caramelized onion on top of it. Then sprinkle coriander leaves and mint leaves on top. Spread the remaining rice on top and drizzle kesar milk and orange food color. Again pour half tsp of ghee over the rice layer. Finally sprinkle coriander and mint leaves.

Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mins. Remove the vessel and place a iron tawa on the flame. Heat it and reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the tawa and cook for 20-25 mins. Turn off the flame and do not remove the lid for 10-15 mins.

After 10 mins, remove the lid and serve hot with Raita or curry.