Hyderabadi Murgh Dum Pukht
A rich and aromatic slow-cooked chicken biryani from Hyderabad, India, featuring tender chicken marinated in an indulgent blend of yogurt, spices, and herbs, cooked under 'dum' (steam) for deep, infused flavors.
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Ingredients
- 1 kgChicken
cut into medium pieces, preferably bone-in
- 500 gBasmati rice
washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 200 gYogurt
fresh, thick
- 100 gFried onions
- 2 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 4 piecesGreen chilies
slit lengthwise
- 1 cupFresh coriander leaves
finely chopped
- 1 cupFresh mint leaves
finely chopped
- 2 tbspLemon juice
- 1 pinchSaffron strands
soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
- 4 tbspGhee
- 3 tbspOil
- 1 ½ tspSalt
- 900 mlWater
for cooking rice
- 1 tbspWhole spices
cloves (5), green cardamoms (5), cinnamon stick (2 inch), bay leaves (2), black peppercorns (8)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, slit green chilies, half of the fried onions, chopped coriander, chopped mint, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well, cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight in the refrigerator).
Rinse the soaked basmati rice in running water a couple of times and drain. Bring 900 ml of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the whole spices and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the soaked rice and cook it until it's about 70% cooked, approximately 6–7 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed deep pot or a handi over medium heat. Add the remaining fried onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken along with the marinade. Cook the chicken on medium heat until it's about 70% cooked and the oil starts to separate, about 15–20 minutes.
Remove half of the cooked chicken pieces carefully and set aside. Spread half of the semi-cooked rice over the chicken mixture in the pot. Sprinkle half of the saffron milk, half of the remaining fried onions, mint, and coriander leaves.
Add the reserved chicken pieces on top, then layer the remaining rice. Top with the remaining saffron milk, fried onions, mint, coriander and drizzle ghee over the top.
Seal the pot tightly with a lid or cover the edges with dough to trap the steam (dum). Reduce the heat to very low and cook (dum) for 30 to 40 minutes to allow flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking.
Once done, carefully fluff up the rice using a fork without breaking the grains. Serve hot.
