Chicken Biryani Recipe - Easy Dum Method (Restaurant Style)

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken Biryani is the single most searched Indian recipe on the planet — every month, every year, in every country. No other Indian dish comes close in search volume. And the reason is simple: when biryani is done right, it's one of the greatest rice dishes ever created. Every grain of basmati separate and infused with spice, layered with tender marinated chicken, sweet-sharp fried onions, bright green herbs, and a golden veil of saffron. The problem? Most biryani recipes are intimidating — long ingredient lists, multiple parallel cooking steps, and the fear of getting the rice wrong. This recipe simplifies everything into a clear sequence that anyone can follow, using Shan Biryani Masala to handle the complex spice work, and a foolproof dum method that guarantees perfectly cooked rice every time.

At Pick N Save, biryani ingredients are our bestselling category during Eid, Diwali, and weekend family dinners. We stock Tilda Basmati Rice (the gold standard for biryani — the extra-long grains stay separate and fluffy), TFS Premium Spanish Saffron (our highest-margin product and the ingredient that gives biryani its signature golden colour), Shan Chicken Biryani Mix, Shan Bombay Biryani, and Shan Sindhi Biryani — each producing a distinctly different regional flavour. We also carry Fudco Fried Onion in 400g bags — the single biggest time-saver in biryani-making. Our Harrow customers have been buying these exact products for biryani since 1999, and this recipe reflects what we've learned from watching thousands of home cooks perfect their technique over 25 years.

Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken (15 Minutes)

In a large bowl, combine 800g of bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best — bone-in releases flavour into the rice during cooking) with 200g of thick natural yogurt (Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg), 1 sachet of Shan Chicken Biryani Mix 60g (this contains the entire complex spice blend — coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, mace, nutmeg, black pepper, and more), 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g), 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder — for colour), juice of 1 lemon (Lemon Loose Yellow Big 3 pcs), and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together until every piece of chicken is thickly coated. Cover and refrigerate. Even 15 minutes of marinating makes a significant difference, though overnight is ideal if you have time.

Step 2: Soak and Par-Boil the Rice (15 Minutes)

Rinse 500g of Tilda Basmati Rice (Tilda Basmati Rice 5kg) in cold water 3–4 times until the water runs mostly clear — this removes excess starch and prevents sticky, clumpy rice. Soak the rinsed rice in cold water for 20 minutes while you prepare the other components. This step is critical: soaked rice cooks more evenly and each grain elongates to nearly double its length.

Bring a large pot of water (at least 3 litres) to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 bay leaves (TFS Bay Leaves 50g), 4 green cardamom pods (TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g), 4 whole cloves, and 1 cinnamon stick (TFS Cinnamon Sticks Dalchini 100g) to the boiling water — these whole spices infuse the rice as it cooks. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the boiling water. Cook for exactly 6–7 minutes — the rice should be 70% cooked (al dente — soft on the outside, a tiny firm core when you bite a grain). This is called par-boiling. Drain the rice immediately through a colander and spread it out to stop the cooking. Do NOT fully cook the rice — it finishes cooking during the dum steaming.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken Base (10 Minutes)

Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee (KTC Butter Ghee 500g) or sunflower oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (the same pot you'll use for the dum) over medium-high heat. Add 2 large onions, thinly sliced (White Onions Prepack 4Kg), and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and crispy at the edges. Remove half the fried onions and set aside on a paper towel — these are your garnish. Alternatively, skip this step entirely and use 100g of Fudco Fried Onion 400g — add half to the pot, save half for garnish. This single shortcut saves 10 minutes and produces identical results.

To the remaining onions (or half the ready-made fried onions) in the pot, add the entire marinated chicken with all its marinade. Stir well and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked — it just needs to be seared on the outside and the marinade should be bubbling. The chicken will finish cooking during the dum.

Step 4: Layer the Biryani (The Architecture)

This is where biryani becomes biryani. The layering is essential — it creates pockets of different flavours and textures throughout the dish. On top of the chicken base in the pot:

1. First rice layer: Spread half the par-boiled rice evenly over the chicken. Don't press it down — let it sit loosely.
2. Herb and aromatics layer: Scatter a handful of chopped fresh mint (Fresh Mint Bunch), a handful of chopped fresh coriander (Fresh Coriander Bunch), 2 slit green chillies (Indian Chilli 400g), and half the reserved fried onions.
3. Second rice layer: Spread the remaining rice on top.
4. Saffron milk: Soak a generous pinch of saffron strands (TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 1g) in 3 tablespoons of warm milk for 5 minutes. The milk turns a deep golden-orange. Drizzle this saffron milk in thin lines across the top rice layer — don't stir it in. This creates the beautiful golden streaks that define biryani.
5. Final touches: Dot 2 tablespoons of cold ghee (KTC Butter Ghee) in small pieces across the top. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top.

Step 5: Seal and Dum (Slow Steam) — 20 Minutes

This is the dum — the sealed, slow-steam cooking that makes biryani unlike any other rice dish. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. If your lid doesn't seal perfectly, place a sheet of aluminium foil over the pot before pressing the lid on — this traps every bit of steam inside. Cook on the lowest possible heat for 20–25 minutes. The trapped steam gently finishes cooking the rice, melds the chicken juices into every grain, and creates that legendary biryani aroma that fills the entire kitchen.

The critical rule: Do NOT open the lid during the dum. Not once. Not to peek. Not to stir. Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes and the cooking is disrupted. Trust the process. Set a timer for 20 minutes and walk away.

Step 6: Rest, Fluff, and Serve

After 20 minutes, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for another 5 minutes of resting. This allows residual steam to finish the last bit of cooking and the temperature to even out. When you finally lift the lid, you'll see: fluffy white rice with golden saffron streaks, the aroma of whole spices and herbs, and buried within, perfectly cooked tender chicken in a rich, concentrated masala.

Use a large spoon or flat spatula to gently scoop from the bottom of the pot upwards — you want to bring the chicken from the bottom up through the rice without breaking the grains. Serve in a wide, shallow dish so the layers and colours are visible. Garnish with any remaining fried onions, a few fresh mint leaves, and a scattering of toasted cashew nuts (Uthra Cashew Nuts 700g or Fudco Cashew 700g) and raisins (Fudco Green Raisins 700g) if desired. Serve with raita (see our Cucumber Raita recipe when published) and a spoonful of Mango Pickle.

Pro Tips from Our Store

• Tilda Basmati is the biryani rice: Not all basmati is equal. Tilda Basmati Rice has extra-long grains that elongate beautifully during cooking, stay separate and fluffy, and have the aromatic fragrance that defines great biryani. We stock it in 2kg, 5kg, and 10kg bags. For biryani, the 5kg bag is the sweet spot — you'll use it regularly once you've nailed this recipe. Shankar Sona Masoori Rice 10kg and Trophy Basmati Rice are also solid alternatives if Tilda is out of stock.
• Saffron is the difference between good and extraordinary: TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 is the single most impactful luxury ingredient in biryani. A tiny pinch (0.1g — about 15 strands) soaked in warm milk creates the golden colour, the perfume, and that unmistakable flavour that separates homemade biryani from restaurant biryani. We stock it in 1g, 2g, 4g, 10g, and 20g packs. The 2g pack is perfect — it lasts for 10+ biryanis and the cost per dish is less than £1.
• Fudco Fried Onion is the biggest time-saver: Slicing and frying onions until deep golden takes 15–20 minutes and fills your kitchen with oil splatter. Fudco Fried Onion 400g gives you restaurant-quality crispy fried onions straight from the bag. Use them in the chicken base AND as garnish. One bag lasts for 3–4 biryanis. This is the shortcut every Indian restaurant uses.
• Shan Biryani Mix handles the complex spicing: Traditional biryani masala requires 15+ individual spices measured precisely. Shan Chicken Biryani Mix 60g contains the entire blend, including the rare spices (mace, nutmeg, black cardamom, star anise) that most home cooks don't stock individually. We also carry Shan Bombay Biryani Mix (sweeter, more aromatic — Mumbai style) and Shan Sindhi Biryani Mix (spicier, more complex — Sindhi/Karachi style) for different regional flavour profiles.
• 70% cooked rice — don't overcook: The single most common biryani mistake is fully cooking the rice before layering. The rice MUST be al dente — 70% cooked — because it finishes cooking during the 20-minute dum. If you put fully cooked rice into the biryani, it will turn to mush during the dum. Bite a grain after 6 minutes of boiling: soft outside, tiny firm core inside = perfect. Fully soft throughout = overcooked.
• Seal the pot properly: If steam escapes during the dum, the rice on top will be undercooked while the bottom overcooks. A tight-fitting lid is essential. If your lid has a steam vent, cover it with a damp cloth. The aluminium foil trick (place foil over the pot, then press the lid on) is the professional method and creates a perfect seal.

Variations to Try

• Vegetable Biryani: Replace the chicken with 400g of mixed vegetables — cauliflower florets (Cauliflower 1pc), potatoes cubed (Potato White 2kg), carrots (Carrots 500g), green beans, and paneer cubes (Homeville Paneer Block 1kg). Sauté the vegetables with the marinade spices for 5 minutes before layering. Reduce the dum time to 15 minutes since vegetables cook faster than bone-in chicken.
• Lamb Biryani (Gosht Biryani): Replace chicken with 800g of bone-in lamb or goat pieces. Marinate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best). Before layering, cook the lamb in the marinade with 200ml of water on low heat for 30 minutes until nearly tender — lamb takes longer than chicken. Then layer and dum as normal. Use Shan Bombay Biryani Mix for the most authentic Hyderabadi lamb biryani flavour.
• Egg Biryani (Budget-Friendly): Hard-boil 6 eggs (OS Eggs UK White 18pk), peel, and prick with a fork. Fry in oil until golden, then set aside. Make a simple onion-tomato-spice base (no chicken), layer with rice, and place the fried eggs in between the layers. A protein-rich biryani at a fraction of the cost.
• Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Biryani (One-Pot): Layer the marinated chicken and par-boiled rice directly in the Instant Pot inner pot. Add saffron milk and fried onions. Seal the lid, pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. This method produces very good biryani in half the time, though the dum method gives a more nuanced, layered flavour.

Shop This Recipe at Pick N Save

Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:

• Basmati Rice: Tilda Basmati Rice 5kg | Tilda Basmati Rice 10kg | Tilda Basmati Rice 2kg | Tilda Pure Basmati Rice 10kg | Tilda Pure Basmati Rice 2kg | Kohinoor Gold Basmati Rice 2kg | Trophy Basmati Rice 2kg | Trophy Basmati Rice 10kg | White Pearl Extra Long Basmati Rice 2kg | Shankar Sona Masoori Rice 10kg
• Biryani Masala: Shan Chicken Biryani Mix 60g | Shan Bombay Biryani Mix 60g | Shan Sindhi Biryani Mix 60g | Shan Biriyani Masala 50g | TFS Bombay Biryani Masala 100g
• Saffron: TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 1g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 2g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 4g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 10g | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Grade 1 — 20g Bulk Pack | TFS Premium Spanish Saffron Powder Grade 1 — 1g
• Fried Onions: Fudco Fried Onion 400g | Tooba Fried Onion Red 400g
• Ghee: KTC Butter Ghee 500g | KTC Butter Ghee 2kg | Khanum Pure Ghee 500g | Patanjali Cow Ghee 500g | Patanjali Cow Ghee 1kg
• Whole Spices: TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g | TFS Cinnamon Sticks Dalchini 100g | TFS Bay Leaves (Tej Patta) 50g | TFS Black Pepper Whole 100g | TFS Star Anise 50g | TFS Cloves (in store)
• Pastes: Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g | Taj Ginger Garlic Crushed 400g | Shan Ginger Garlic Paste 700g
• Dairy: Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg | Continental Low Fat Natural Yogurt 400g | Freshways Whole Milk 2L
• Fresh Produce: White Onions Prepack 4Kg | Fresh Mint Bunch | Fresh Coriander Bunch 1Pc | Indian Chilli 400g | Lemon Loose Yellow Big 3 pcs
• Garnishes: Uthra Cashew Nuts 700g | Fudco Cashew 700g | Fudco Cashew Nuts Jumbo 700g | Fudco Green Raisins 700g
• Accompaniments: Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg (for raita) | Mango Pickle (see our Mango Pickle recipe) | Lijjat Plain Papad 200g
• For Vegetable Biryani: Cauliflower 1pc | Potato White 2kg | Carrots 500g | Homeville Paneer Block 1kg
• For Egg Biryani: OS Eggs UK White 18pk | OS Eggs UK White 30pk | OS Eggs Barradale Organic 6pk