Dum Pukht Biryani - Slow Cooked Biryani

Dum Pukht Biryani - Slow Cooked Biryani

Dum Pukht means slow cooking in a sealed container. This popular cooking method goes back hundreds of years. It is almost always used to cook meat dishes and almost no water is added,so that the meat cooks in its own juices! Dum Pukht Biryani can be made with lamb, goat meat or chicken. My favourite is made with goat meat so that’s what this recipe calls for but feel free to replace with any of the other meats. Dum Pukht Biryani is not a dish that can be hurried but when it’s done you will love it and the wait will have been worthwhile. It is great dish to serve at your next dinner party! Try it…

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram goat meat (I like leg cut into 2-3" pieces, bone on)
• For the Marinade:
• 2 cups of plain yogurt (fresh, thick, unsweetened)
• 2 green chilies (chopped very fine)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (fresh coriander leaves, chopped very fine)
• 1 pinch of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• For the Gravy:
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola or sunflower cooking oil)
• 2 large onions (chopped very finely or grated)
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon khus-khus (ground into a powder)
• 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut (ground into a powder)
• 6 to 8 cashews (ground to a powder, or 1 tablespoon cashew nut powder)
• 3 large tomatoes (ground into a smooth paste in food processor)
• 3/4 kilograms rice (Basmati)
• 2 to 3 drops orange food coloring
• 2 to 3 drops green food coloring
• 1 teaspoon salt
• For Garnish:
• A few strands of saffron
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk (warm)

• Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. 1. Put all the ingredients (including garam masala powder) for the marinade into a large non-metallic bowl and mix until a smooth marinade is formed and all the ingredients are well blended.
     2. Add the goat meat pieces and stir to coat every piece well. Cling warp the bowl and keep in the fridge to marinate for an hour.
     3. Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan/ pot and add when hot, add the onions. Sauté until the onions begin to turn a pale golden color. Now add the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for a minute.

        1. Add the khus-khus, coconut, cashew powders and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning.
        3. Add the tomato paste you made earlier and sauté for a minute.This will splutter at first so be careful while you stir.