Malabar Dum Biryani

The mouthwatering special Biryani from the Malabar Coast. A simple and easy to follow recipe that guarantees success. An epitome of the elegant, delicious scents of Malabar.

This recipe teaches you how to get perfectly cooked 3/4 done rice for Dum Biryani.

Much more about this Malabar Dum Biryani in the Intro Page.

The Recipe Intro contains the Video for this recipe (in the Malayalam language). Check it out.

Ingredients:

Chicken - medium sized pieces (weight after skinning and cleaning - cut medium size)		2 kg
Red onions, sliced		7
Garlic cloves( smaller sized Indian Garlic variety )		1 cup
Ginger		3/4 - 1 cup
Small hot green chillies ( around 6)		50 gms
Tomato, chopped		1/2 kg
Coriander leaves		1 large handful
Mint leaves		1 large handful
Pandan leaves		2
Dalda/ Vanaspati (Hydrgenated vegetable oil)		100 gms
Coconut oil		1/2 cup
Ghee/ Clarified butter		1 Tbsp
Coriander powder		5 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder		2 tsp
Turmeric powder		1/2 tsp
Kerala garam masala (SEE NOTES)		2 tsp
Salt (to taste)		2 tsp
Thick yoghurt, whipped		1/2 cup
Lime juice ( if needed )		2 tsp
Milk		1/2 cup
Saffron		1 tsp
You will need to make a dough to seal the lid of the pot.		1- 2 cups of wheat flour mixed with water to make a soft pliable dough

For Marinating the Chicken:

Coriander powder		4 tsp
Chilli powder		2 tsp
Fennel powder		1 tsp
Black pepper powder		1 tsp
Turmeric powder		1/2 tsp
Green Cardamom powder		1/2 tsp
Thick and sour yoghurt		3 Tbsp
Lime juice		2 tsp
Mint leaves, chopped		3 Tbsp
Coriander leaves, chopped		3 Tbsp

For Rice:

Basmati RICE ( 5 1/2 cups )		1 kg
Water		4 litres
Salt		4 Tbsp
Sticks of cinnamon		3
Star anise		1 Tbsp
Green cardamom		5
cloves		5-6
Fennel seeds		1 tsp

Garnish:

Fried cashew nuts		1/2 cup
Fried raisins/ sultanas		1/4 cup
Chopped coriander		As needed

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and leave to drain well.
2. Grind all the ingredients for the marinade. Add to the chicken with 2 tsp salt. Marinate 20-30 minutes.
3. Rinse the rice several times, till water runs clear. Soak for 15 minutes in fresh water (Not longer). Drain into a colander and set aside.
4. Add the saffron(1 tsp) to the hot milk( 1/2 cup) and set aside.
5. Prep: Slice the red onion. Crush the garlic, ginger and green chillies, either separately or together. Use a pestle and mortar for best results. Set aside
6. Large biryani pot.
7. You need a large pot to cook the biryani. It should be large enough to contain the masala as well as the cooked rice with sufficient room for mixing.
8. Add and heat dalda/vanaspati along with the coconut oil.
9. Add the sliced onions and saute till lightly softened. Then add the crushed paste (garlic-ginger-green chilli) and saute all together well. Saute till the raw smell is gone.
10. Add 2 Tbsp each of the chopped mint and coriander. Reserve the rest for later.
11. Rinse the pandan leaves well. Tie into a knot and add this as well.
12. Saute well till the onions a light golden and really softened well. Mix the masala till you can smell the pandan leaves.
13. Reduce heat and add spice powders. Add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and salt.
14. Saute till the spices are cooked.. briefly. Do not scorch the spices.
15. Add the marinated chicken and turn up the heat now. Toss the pieces well, in the sauteed ingredients – till they are coated well turn uniformly opaque.
16. Once the chicken pieces are coated well and coloured uniformly, add the whisked yoghurt and mix fast. If the yoghurt is not sour enough add 2 tsp lime juice. Mix well.
17. Now add the ghee (1 Tbsp) and mix through.
18. Reduce to lowest heat, cover with a tight lid and cook for 10 minutes. Open and stir once or twice in between.
19. After 10 minutes, stir well. Add a little water only if it seems very dry.
20. Check the salt now and add more if needed. Mix well.
21. Now, add the chopped tomato, remaining chopped mint and coriander. Scatter everything over the chicken layer evenly. DO NOT MIX. Close and cook on low for another 5 minutes.
22. On a separate burner in a large pot heat 4 litres of water. Add 4 Tbsp salt and bring to boil.
23. Once the masala has cooked for 5 minutes, check that is is not overly dry by using a large spatula to slide in the masala from the slide. Do not stir. You can tell by moving the spatula if the masala has enough water. If not, add a little-boiled water all around the sides. Do not stir. Turn off heat. Keep covered till ready to add the rice.
24. As the pot of water for the rice comes to a boil, add all the whole spices.
25. Once the water has come to a strong boil, add the drained rice. Cover the pot- (still on high heat) quickly and wait till the water bubbles up to the top. When the water has foamed/ bubbled up to the top, remove the lid, reduce heat and time for exactly 5 minutes.
26. After 5 minutes, quickly use a slotted rice /spider strainer to remove the rice quickly from the water.
27. Immediately add the drained rice over the layer of masala in the other pot.  Spread lightly over the top. Smooth the surface gently.
28. Sprinkle the milk-saffron mixture all over the top.
29. Mould the kneaded wheat flour dough into a thick rope. Press all around the rim of the pot and quickly press down with the lid to seal. make sure there are no gaps where dough does not seal the thin gap between the pot and lid.
30. Place the pot over an old flat pan/ tawa on a medium flame and cook on this indirect heat for 10-15 minutes.
31. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and later cut open through the hardened dough and open the lid.
32.  Fluff up the rice on top and then mix the masala lightly throughout the chicken. Or you can serve the rice separately and the Masala with chicken separately.
33. Serve with Raita, Mint Chutney and Pickle.

 

Malabar Dum Biryani

Notes:

Key Ingredients: Chicken, Rice, Oion, Garlic, Ginger, Green Chilli, Herbs, Spices, Tomato, Cashewnuts, Sultanas, Oil, Dlada, Ghee, Salt.

EAT AND TELL!!!

Let us know if you tried –  Malabar Dum Biryani