Alright… Now that you’ve got all the jokes and snickers out of you let’s talk about this biryani. Dum is a technique where you allow the dish to cook in its own steam. So when your mother rattles off a recipe and ends it with “…and put the pot on dum for 20 minutes,” it means cook on low heat with the lid on. However, as you will read here, the dum in this recipe is going to be baking. You can keep the pot on the stove top for the entire cooking process, but I don’t know how long you would cook it on low heat – so you’re taking your chances with that way.

This dish is really comfort food. It’s not exotic in the way of Achar Gosht or Nargisi Koftas. The flavor is mild and the level of spiciness is barely there (I’m not a fan of spicy biryanis – it just kills the flavor). It’s a good for dinner during the week.

Ingredients

• 1  whole Chicken (skinned & quartered)
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 1 1/2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 1/2 tsp ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder, to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Punjabi Garam Masala
• 3/4 cup Plain Yogurt
• Salt, to taste
• Fried Onions to taste
• Cilantro to taste (optional)
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil

Method

Marinate Chicken: Whip the Yogurt with a few tablespoons of water. Add the Ginger Garlic Paste, Coriander, Chili powder,  Turmeric, Garam Masala, and Salt. Mix to combine. Add the Chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Soak Rice: Wash the Rice in cold water and let soak for 1/2 an hour. Drain.

Assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat an oven proof pot on medium high heat with a 1/4 cup of Canola Oil. Carefully add half of the chicken pieces (don’t forget to include the marinade). Spread half of the rice over the pot. Sprinkle with Fried Onions and Cilantro. Repeat – Chicken, Rice, Fried Onions & Cilantro. Slowly pour in 2 cups of cold water. Cover. Stick in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Serve straight from the pot with some raita. Enjoy!