Dum ka chicken with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. It is also known as Dum ka Murgh, 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.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian
Servings: 4people
Author: Preeti
Equipment
1 Heavy bottom pot/kadhai
1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
To make fried onions (birista)
3onionsthinly sliced
To make nuts and coconut paste
12cashews
10almonds
2tablespoondesiccated coconutor dry coconut
1teaspoonpoppy seedsoptional
To marinate the chicken
500gramschicken
2teaspoonginger garlic paste
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
2teaspooncoriander powder
1teaspoonKashmiri red chili powder
½teaspoonspicy red chili powder
½teaspooncumin powder
½teaspoonblack pepper powder
1teaspoongaram masala powder
salt to taste
1teaspoonlemon juice
3green cardamoms
1-inchcinnamon
1bay leaf
4cloves
3tablespoonoilthe same oil used to fry onions
1tablespoongheeclarified butter
2tablespoonfinely chopped mint leaves
4tablespoonfinely chopped coriander leaves
½cupthick curd/yogurt
fried onionsadd only ¾th part of it
nuts and coconut paste
Other ingredients
2green chilies
1tablespoonfinely chopped mint leaves
2tablespoonfinely 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.