Hyderabadi dum biryani

Ive lived in Hyderabad for most of my life and  Ive eaten many biryanis that have shown me various levels of heaven, but I have never ever made one!! So I got my friend to give me the recipe his family uses for Eid and got busy. I loved every minute of making it. From coating the chicken with the marinade to soaking the fragrant basmati rice, to watching the saffron imaprt its wonderous colour and flavour to the rice. Cooking this fantastic recipe was as satisfying as eating it!

What you need:
1kg Basmati Rice
1kg Chicken With Bones
400gms Finely Chopped Onions(for frying)
300ml Refined Oil
100 gms Ginger Garlic Paste
4 Pieces Of Cinnamon(1 inch each)
6 Cardamom
Shahi Zeera(1/2 Tea Spoon)
6 Green Chillies(Paste)
2 Bunches Of Coriander(1 Cup)
1 Bunch Of Mint(1/2 Cup)
300gms Yoghurt
20gms Of Raw Papaya(Paste) (Couldnt find any so didnt use any)
10 to 12 Strands Of Saffron soaked in 1 Cup Milk
A little Saffron cooking colour
Salt To Taste

HOW:
FOR MARINATION
Wash the chicken.Drain the water thoroughly.Take a thick bottom vessel in which 2 kg biryani can be cooked.Put the chicken in the vessel.Mix ginger garlic paste, curd, raw papaya, salt, green chilli paste, 1 tea spoon red chilli powder, 1 tea spoon turmeric powder, powdered cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, half of the chopped coriander and mint.Marinate the meat for 3 hours.Chop the onions into thin slices and deep fry them until crisp.Drain the oil and crush the onions with hand.

COOKING
Soak the rice for 1/2 an hour.In a seperate vessel take 3 litres of water.Add salt, bring to a boil, now add the rice.Cook the rice till its 1/4th done.Now add 3/4th of the crushed onions and 3/4th of the oil to the marination.Drain all the water from the rice.Spread the rice on top of the marination uniformly.Pour the remaining oil, remaining onions, mint and coriander.Pour the 1 cup milk in a uniform way on top of the rice.Seal the vessel tightly so that no steam escapes.Put the vessel on the stove on a full flame and cook for 12 minutes.Then lower the flame and leave it to cook for another 15 minutes.

Everyone should try this. Making this biryani is really easy and the yummy sounds you hear on the table are a reward you must not pass up.