Dum ka Murghदम का मुर्ग

Name: Dum ka Murgh
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Hyderabadi
Ingredients: 1 kg Chicken, bone-in pieces; 200 g Whole yogurt; 100 g Fried onions (birista); 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste; 4 Green chilies, slit; 3 tbsp Ghee; 5 pods Green cardamom; 2 pods Black cardamom; 5 Cloves; 1 stick Cinnamon; 1 tsp Kewra water; 1 pinch in 2 tbsp Saffron dissolved in warm milk; to taste Salt

⏱ Prep 20m🍳 Cook 45m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: HomeCookingShow (YouTube)

Dum ka Murgh is the Nizam's answer to a slow-cooked chicken that concentrates every spice into the meat itself. Unlike biryani where rice shares the pot, here the chicken is the undivided hero — sealed in a thick paste of caramelized onions, whole spices, and yogurt, then set on a low flame to steam in its own juices. In Hyderabadi homes this dish appears at dawat tables and Eid spreads alike, its fragrance of kewra and cardamom announcing it from the kitchen.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪Chicken, bone-in pieces1 kg
▪Whole yogurt200 g
▪Fried onions (birista)100 g
▪Ginger-garlic paste2 tbsp
▪Green chilies, slit4
▪Ghee3 tbsp
Whole spices
▪Green cardamom5 pods
▪Black cardamom2 pods
▪Cloves5
▪Cinnamon1 stick
Finishing
▪Kewra water1 tsp
▪Saffron dissolved in warm milk1 pinch in 2 tbsp
▪Saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Birista (fried onions): Buy pre-made crispy fried onions at South Asian grocery stores (labeled "barista" or "fried shallots") or make your own by deep-frying thinly sliced onions until deep brown and draining on paper towels.
Kewra water: Rose water makes a passable substitute in a 1:1 ratio — it gives a floral note though lighter than kewra. Both are available at Indian and Pakistani grocery stores across North America.
Dum seal: If you don't have a heavy deg, use a Dutch oven and seal the lid with a double layer of foil pressed underneath, or set a heavy pan on top to weigh the lid down.

Method

1Marinate chicken with yogurt, birista, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, salt, and all whole spices. Mix until the chicken is thoroughly coated; rest for at least 2 hours (overnight in the fridge is best).
2Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot (deg) over medium flame. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade — do not add extra water.
3Stir for 5 minutes until the marinade begins to cling to the chicken rather than pool at the bottom.
4Reduce flame to the lowest setting. Seal the pot with a tight-fitting lid or, traditionally, press a rope of kneaded dough around the rim. Cook for 35-40 minutes, shaking the pot gently twice midway without lifting the lid.
5After 35-40 minutes the oil should have separated and the chicken should be fully cooked. Drizzle kewra water and saffron milk over the top.
6Reseal for 5 minutes on the lowest flame, then serve straight from the pot with roomali roti or pulao.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.