Dum ka chicken also known as Dum ka Murgh, is a traditional Hyderabadi chicken curry where succulent pieces of chicken are slow-cooked in spiced yogurt-based marinade in a sealed pot. This simple and easy chicken dish requires minimal effort and tastes amazing. Serve this chicken curry with Naan or basmati rice. Here's how to make it with step-by-step photos and a quick video tutorial.
This dum ka chicken recipe is similar to Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani, the slow-cooking method (also called Dum, and fragrant spices combine to make this dum ka murgh a perfect choice for any special occasion.
The chicken is cooked so soft and tender that it melts in the mouth just like Dahi Chicken and the gravy is rich, creamy, and flavorful. This chicken curry will surely tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more.
What I love about this dum chicken recipe is its ease of cooking. All you need to do is marinate the chicken with spices, yogurt, and herbs and cook it. If you love chicken curries, you might also like Hyderabadi Chicken Masala, Andhra Chicken Fry, and Hyderabadi Green Chicken.
About this recipe
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Dum Ka Chicken. It is also known as Hyderabadi dum ka murgh or Nizami Dum ka Murgh. "Murgh" means "Chicken".
This traditional Hyderabadi dum ka chicken can be made easily at home. It is made with tender chicken that is marinated with spices, yogurt, nuts, and herbs. It is then slow-cooked in a sealed pot where the chicken gets cooked in its own juices and the flavors blend together.
Also, a special technique called “dungar” is used at the end which adds a smoky flavor to the dish. You can check the step-by-step photos and video if you are a beginner or new to this technique.
You may also like these other popular chicken recipes from this website:
Ingredients and Substitutions
This Hyderabadi chicken curry is made with simple ingredients easily available in the Indian kitchen pantry. The list of ingredients is a bit lengthy but believe me, you will get all the ingredients easily in your Indian kitchen pantry.
- Chicken - I have used chicken with bones as they are more flavorful. Use curry-cut chicken pieces. However, you can also make it with boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Yogurt - Use thick curd or yogurt. I have used full-fat yogurt. It makes the gravy creamy.
- Onions - I have used red onions. Thinly slice the onions for better results. The only time-consuming task is to fry the onions. You can substitute it with store-bought birista.
- Nuts - For this recipe, I used almonds and cashews. You can substitute cashews with almonds and vice versa. Do not skip the addition of nuts. They make the gravy thick and creamy.
- Coconut - I have used dry coconut. You can use desiccated coconut or coconut powder. Skip if you do not have it.
- Poppy Seeds (khus Khus) - The addition of this is completely optional. Skip if you do not have it.
- Ginger-garlic paste - I have used fresh ginger-garlic paste. If you do not have fresh ginger and garlic, use store-bought paste. Do not skip adding it.
- Flavoring - Salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder.
- Red chili powder - I have used a combination of Kashmiri red chili powder and spicy red chili powder. Kashmiri red chili powder gives a bright red color to the dish and is not too spicy. Spicy red chili powder adds heat to the dish.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice gives the best flavors. Substitute it with vinegar.
- Whole Spices - Green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf.
- Oil - You can use any cooking oil that has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. I used sunflower oil for this recipe.
- Ghee/clarified butter - Adds a nice flavor and richness to the dish. Skip if you do not have it.
- Herbs - Use fresh coriander leaves and mint leaves.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Dum Ka Chicken (Step-by-step instructions with photos)
Preparations
1) Making fried onions (birista) - Heat oil in a deep bottom pan over medium heat. Fry onions until they start to become light golden on the edges. Lower the heat, and fry it stirring continuously until it is golden. Remove and spread it on a plate. Keep it aside.
2) Divide the fried onion into two parts. ¾th part of it will be used while marinating the chicken and the remaining ¼th part will be used at the final stage of cooking.
3) Making nuts and coconut paste - Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Roast cashews and almonds until golden. Remove it to a plate. In the same pan, dry roast coconut for a minute. Add poppy seeds, and roast them until golden. Remove it to the same plate. Let the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
4) Transfer the roasted coconut and nuts to a mixer/grinder jar. Grind it to a fine powder. Next, add a little water to it and grind it to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
Making Dum Ka Murgh
1) Marinate the chicken - In a small mixing bowl, combine the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marinate the chicken. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. After 1 hour, take it out and keep it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature.
2) Transfer the marinated chicken to a deep bottom pan. Cover it with a lid and seal the edges with dough. This is optional. Alternatively, you can cover the surface with aluminum foil.
3) Heat it on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat; cook it for 30 minutes on the lowest heat. Switch off the heat.
4) Open the seal, and remove the lid. Be careful, when you open the lid hot steam will escape. Open the lid from the opposite direction of yours.
5) Add ¼th cup of hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Taste the gravy and add more salt or red chili powder, if needed.
6) Add the remaining fried onions, green chilies, coriander leaves, and mint leaves. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. The curry is ready to serve.
Dungar Method - This step is completely optional. It infuses a smoky flavor into the dish. Heat a charcoal over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place a small metal bowl in the center of the kadai/pot. With the help of tongs place the hot charcoal over the metal bowl. Drizzle a few drops of ghee over it. Immediately cover it with a lid and keep it aside for a minute. Remove the metal bowl with the help of tongs.
Serve Dum ka chicken with Naan, Roti, or steamed rice.
Tips to make the best Dum Ka Chicken
- Use a heavy bottom pan/pot to make this curry. It is important otherwise the gravy will stick to the bottom and get burnt. If you do not have a heavy bottom pot, place the sealed pot over an iron tawa or griddle. Cook the curry for the first 5 minutes on high heat so that the tawa gets heated up. Then cook it on low heat for 30 minutes.
- For making fried onions, cut the onion slices thinly. Fry the onions in medium hot oil. For the first few minutes do not stir them. Once you notice the slices start to become light golden on the edges, stir them. Now lower the heat, and cook stirring continuously until the onion slices are golden. Remove it on a plate.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Keep it in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes. It makes the chicken soft, juicy, and flavorful. Do not skip this step.
- Be very careful while removing the dough seal. When you open the seal hot steam will escape and it may burn your hands. Open it from the opposite direction wherever you are standing.
- The dungar method is optional. You can skip it.
- Be careful while adding water to the recipe. The gravy should be thick. If you add too much water then the flavors will dilute.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve it with
1) Naan, Paratha, or Roti (Indian Flatbread)
2) Steamed rice or Jeera rice
3) Hyderabadi Biryani
4) Rice flour bhakri or Neer Dosa
Dum cooking or Dum pukht is a traditional cooking technique from Mughlai cuisine. The food is combined with spices and herbs and is slowly cooked in a heavy-bottom pot. The lid of the pot is traditionally sealed with dough. The food gets slowly cooked on low heat in its own juices and the aroma remains intact.
It is a mildly spicy, creamy, and aromatic chicken curry. The chicken is so soft and tender that it just melts in the mouth. The gravy is rich, creamy, and flavorful. It tastes awesome.
Dum Ka Murgh Variations
- Make it royal - Add saffron milk to it. To make saffron milk, add a few saffron strands in ¼ cup of warm milk and add it to the chicken while marinating it. Gives an excellent flavor to the dish.
- Substitute chicken with meat. The cooking timings will differ but the process will be the same.
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Recipe Card
Dum Ka Chicken (Dum Ka Murgh)
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pot/kadhai
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
To make fried onions (birista)
- 3 onions thinly sliced
To make nuts and coconut paste
- 12 cashews
- 10 almonds
- 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut or dry coconut
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds optional
To marinate the chicken
- 500 grams chicken
- 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon spicy red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 green cardamoms
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 3 tablespoon oil the same oil used to fry onions
- 1 tablespoon ghee clarified butter
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
- 4 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
- ½ cup thick curd/yogurt
- fried onions add only ¾th part of it
- nuts and coconut paste
Other ingredients
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparations
- Making fried onions (birista) - Heat oil in a deep bottom pan over medium heat. Fry onions until they start to become light golden on the edges. Lower the heat, fry it stirring continuously until it is golden. Remove and spread it on a plate. Keep it aside.
- Divide the fried onion in two parts. ¾th part of it will be used while marinating the chicken and the remaining ¼th part will be used at the final stage of cooking.
- Making nuts and coconut paste - Heat a pan over medium low heat. Roast cashews and almonds until golden. Remove it to a plate. In the same pan, dry roast coconut for a minute. Add poppy seeds, roast it until golden. Remove it to the same plate. Let the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
- Transfer the roasted coconut and nuts to a mixer/grinder jar. Grind it to a fine powder. Next, add little water to it and grind it to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
Making Dum Ka Murgh
- Marinate the chicken - In a small mixing bowl, combine chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under marinate the chicken. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. After 1 hour, take it out and keep it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes or until it comes to room temperature.
- Transfer the marinated chicken to a deep bottom pan. Cover it with a lid and seal the edges with dough. This is optional. Alternatively, you can cover the surface with an aluminum foil.
- Heat it on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat; cook it for 30 minutes on the lowest heat. Switch off the heat.
- Open the seal, remove the lid. Be careful, when you open the lid hot steam will escape. Open the lid from the opposite direction of yours.
- Add ¼th cup of hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
- Taste the gravy and add more salt or red chili powder, if needed.
- Add the remaining fried onions, green chilies, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
- Dungar Method - This step is completely optional. It infuses a smoky flavor to the dish. Heat a charcoal over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place a small metal bowl in the center of the kadai/pot. With the help of tongs place the hot charcoal over the metal bowl. Drizzle few drops of ghee over it. Immediately cover with a lid and keep it aside for a minute. Remove the metal bowl with the help of tongs.
- Serve Dum ka chicken with Naan, Roti or steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Use a heavy bottom pan/pot to make this curry. It is important otherwise the gravy will stick to the bottom and get burnt. If you do not have a heavy bottom pot, place the sealed pot over an iron tawa or griddle. Cook the curry for the first 5 minutes on high heat so that the tawa gets heated up. Then cook it on low heat for 30 minutes.
- For making fried onions, cut the onion slices thinly. Fry the onions in medium hot oil. For the first few minutes do not stir them. Once you notice the slices start to become light golden on the edges, stir it. Now lower the heat, and cook stirring continuously until the onion slices are golden. Remove it on a plate.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Keep it in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes. It makes the chicken soft, juicy, and flavorful. Do not skip this step.
- Be very careful while removing the dough seal. When you open the seal hot steam will escape and it may burn your hands. Open it from the opposite direction wherever you are standing.
- The dungar method is optional. You can skip it.
- Be careful while adding water to the recipe. The gravy should be thick. If you add too much water then the flavors will dilute.
- Storage Suggestions:
- Store it within 2 hours of cooking it.
- To store the leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them. Stays good for 2 days. To reheat, add a little water, stir, and heat it on low heat until piping hot.
- You can freeze the leftovers. Stays good for 15 days. Thaw, reheat, and serve.
- Do not freeze the dish once you thaw it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Preeti
This dum ka chicken turns out so tender and juicy, with spices that blend beautifully into the gravy. Every bite is rich and comforting, making it a perfect dish for special occasions. Give it a try and you will love it.