Hi Readers !! Dum Biryani which was originated in Hyderabad by a pack of soldiers who wanted to cook meat, rice, vegetables together in a large pot kept on fire for a long time. It was then that the Emperor was drawn to its aroma and ordered his royal cooks (Khansama) to make this Dish for him too. It was brought to India by Mughals but now its famous all over the world for its intense flavors, a combined full-pack meal.
Since I am vegetarian, I always end up cooking this Veg,but for those who enjoy non-veg, this dish is exhilarating. In my last post I have shared the method to prepare it in oven. This time its on the stove :whether electric or gas stove, method remains more or less the same. The gist is to prepare it on low heat so that the vapours could infuse all the flavors(Dum) in each layer of Biryani without burning the bottom-most layer. So now , lets go through the recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Curd or yoghurt (dahi) – ¹⁄₂ cup
2. Whole Basmati Rice / Sona Masoori Rice(soaked)- 1 and ¹⁄₂ cup
3. Saffron strands (kesar) – 1 Tsp
4. Milk – ¹⁄₄ Cup
5. Long sliced or cut potatoes -¹⁄₂ cup
6. Long sliced onions – 1 cup
7. Green chillies slit or sliced elongated – 4
8. Tomatoes Sliced – ¹⁄₂ cup
9. Capsicum slices – ¹⁄₄ cup(optional)
10. Peas – ¹⁄₄ cup(optional)
11. Carrots sliced elongated – ¹⁄₂ cup
12. salt to taste
13. Everest Biryani Masala(store bought) – 3 Spoons
14. Cloves (Long/lavang) -3
15. Whole black cardamoms(Badi elaichi)- 2
16. Whole Black peppercorns (kali mirch) -2 -3
17. Cinnamon stick (dalchini) -1
18. Bay leaves (tej patta) – 3 (torn in pieces)
19. Black Cumin seeds(Shah jeera) – 1 tsp
20. Turmeric(haldi powder) – ¹⁄₂ tsp
21. Orange color(optional) – 1 drop
22. Cooking oil – 4 Tbsp
23. Ginger grated – 1 spoon
24. Tofu cubes/paneer cubes – 1 cup
25. Mushrooms – ¹⁄₄ cup
26. Roasted Cashews (kaju) or nuts of your choice – 10-12

P.S. : The above list of ingredients is voluntary, you may choose as many and as few as you want. Also the above list is not exhaustive, you can add any other vegetable or spice too.

METHOD:
| Preparation time : 30 mins | Cooking time : 35-45 mins | Serves 2-3 persons at a time |

1. Lets start with the preparations first. Wash and peel the vegetables and cut or slice them in elongated thin slices. Its better to add long slices in Biryani ,since it enhance its look, but if you don’t like big chunks , just cut according to your preference. The pieces should not be huge or raw in the end. Also soak saffron in warm milk. The curd should be at room temperature. Soak the washed rice (preferably Basmati) in two parts , one with turmeric and one without turmeric in warm water for 30 mins.
   

2. Now heat a wok or non-stick pan and add (2 tbsp) oil in it. Add the onions slice (lachchha) to it and stir fry them till deep golden brown. This is called caramelizing onions. Take them out in a plate when done. I added all the whole spice with them . You may add in next step too.
   

3. In the same wok ,add more oil if needed, and then add the black cumin seeds( shah jeera) ,hing, bay leaves, black cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger-garlic grated, red chillies and stir them together.

4. Now add the onions and then all the vegetables one by one. Cook them on medium heat till they are sauteed and the raw flavor vanishes. Lower the heat, add curd to it and stir them well such that the curd should not curdle. When you see a thick gravy, add salt, turmeric , coriander powder, fennel powder, biryani masala , tofu or paneer cubes and the green chillies and stir them again for a couple of minutes.
   

5. Boil 5-6 cups of water in a pan with little salt and ghee(clarified butter). Add rice to it and cook till it is 80% done. When done, drain the excess water and keep the partial cooked rice aside.
   

6. Take a deep, heavy bottomed vessel and start layering the Biryani now. In the Bottom spread some oil or grease it well , now spread the veggies layer at the bottom.
   

7. Top this layer with some rice (white) . Place the caramelized onions on its top.
   

8. Again a layer of rice(yellow) , a layer of veggies on the rice layer.
   

9. Top the veggies’ layer with the leftover rice and so on until your rice and veggies are finished. The topmost layer should be of rice.
   

10. Pour the milk on the topmost layer.Seal all the edges of the pan with an aluminium foil and lower the heat to no.2 or no.3 (for gas stove , turn the flame to medium) . Tie a thread or stick some kneaded flour(atta) all around the edges so that the vapors couldn’t escape.
    

11. Cook it on low heat for 30 mins without checking. Check after 30 mins and see whether you get the flavorful aroma in your home or not. 😉
    

12. When ready to serve , cut some lemon wedges, garnish it with cilantro leaves(dhania), roasted cashews etc. Serve hot with curd, gravy, green dip or as it is.
    

P.S. : This was prepared using Sona Masoori Rice, hence they don’t look so appealing. So they would definitely look enticing if you use Whole Basmati rice for them.

Thank you for reading this post and posting your comments!! Your feedback is valuable to us !
Till then keep the DUM up!!
😀