Chana Dum Biryani an aromatic flavourful layered biryani using kabuli chana or white chickpeas, basmati rice and other spices. Let us learn Chana Dum Recipe with step by step pictures and video. 
Chana Dum Biryani Recipe is also known as Chole Biryani or Chickpea Biryani. This chana dum biryani is a one pot protein rich variety rice. It is packed with aromatic spices along with saffron using the technique of dum cooking.
About Chana Dum Biryani
Generally we make biryani with vegetables but here I have chana as main ingredient. This healthy chana dum biryani is healthy as its rich in protein. Chana Biryani or chole biryani is my most favorite. Rice cooked along with whole garam masala spices combined with prepared chana masala gravy, mint, coriander leaves, saffron milk layered and cooked in dum makes it a perfect weekend special especially kids will love it.
- Pre – preparations : First soak saffron in warm milk, then after that whisk curd and set aside. Soak chana overnight pressure cook along with salt and water for 4-5 whistles then set aside. Fry cashews till golden , remove. Then fry onion till golden brown and set aside.
- Cook basmati rice : Drain basmati rice and cook in open pot with water, salt along whole garam masala. Cook only till 3/4 th done.
- Chana gravy : Cook chana along with curd, spices , masala powders with a onion tomato base.
- Layering : First oil the bottom of the biryani pot well. Then to begin with start with chana gravy then next layer add half of cooked rice along with mint,coriander leaves, fried onion etc. Next add remaining rice, remaining chana curry with mint,coriander leaves, fried onion, cashews, saffron milk.
- Dum cooking : Place dosa tawa on flame and keep in lowest flame as possible. Then place the biryani pot along with a tight lid on the dosa tawa and dum cook for 10 mins.
Dum biryani is a time consuming process I agree however with a little planing and prepreparations makes it a easy deal.
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Chana Dum Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
To cook basmati rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups water
- one 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 nos cloves
- 2 nos cardamom
- 1 small star anise
- salt to taste
To make chana gravy:
- 1 cup chana soaked overnight
- 1 cup curd whisked
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- one 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 nos cloves
- 2 nos cardamom
- 1 small bayleaf
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 nos green chillies
- 2 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 2 medium sized tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves
For fried onion:
- 2 medium sized onion sliced thin
Others:
- 2 tablespoon warm milk
- 25 nos cashews
- 10 strands saffron
- oil for greasing
- ghee for layering
Instructions
- To begin with soak chana overnight or for atleast 8-10 hours.
- Pressure cook along with enough water and salt for 5 whistles in low medium flame. Cooked chana should be soft when pressed but not mushy.
- Soak saffron in warm milk, mix it well and set aside.
- Whisk thick curd and set aside.
- Soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins.Rinse well , drain and set aside.
- To a pan - heat oil , ghee add cashews fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Now add sliced onion fry until golden brown and set aside.
- Now add all the whole spices along with green chillies, ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
- After that add onion fry until golden.
- Next add tomato, fry until mushy and raw smell leaves.
- After that add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder along with mint and coriander leaves. Give a quick saute, do not burn the spice powders.
- Add cooked chana along with whisked curd.
- Mix it well. Let it start to boil.
- When it starts to boil cook covered for few mins until the mixture becomes slightly thick.
- The curry has become thick. Switch off and set aside.
- To a big pot add 4 cups water along with whole spices like star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves along with salt.Let it boil then add soaked, drained rice.
- Cook exactly for 5-6 mins not more than that.
- It should break like this and not become soft when pressed. Make sure rice is cooked only till 3/4th done.
- Drain water and keep the cooked rice aside.
- These steps should be done off the stove. Brush the bottom of the biryani pot with little oil.
- Add 3/4 th of prepared chana gravy to the pot.
- Now next layer:add rice along with fried onion and half of mint and coriander leaves.
- Next add rice as top final layer along with remaining 1/4 portion chana gravy.
- Add remaining fried onion,coriander, mint leaves along with essence, saffron milk.
- Close with a tight lid.If there is any opening seal with chapathi dough. My lid is tight so sealed just the hole on the lid.
- Heat dosa tawa. Keep the flame as lowest as possible.
- Keep the biryani pot on the dosa tawa.Dum cook in lowest flame for 10 mins. Switch off and set aside for for 5-10 mins undisturbed.
- Finally open,the aroma is just so so good.
- Fluff it gently. Do not overmix.
- Serve Chana Dum Biryani immediately without mixing much so that the layers are not completely mixed.
Video
Notes
- Be very careful while cooking rice as if rice becomes mushy then dum cooking will not be possible.
- Rice should be cooked only till 3/4 th and it should break when you press and not soft.
- You can replace white chana with brown chana too or use a combination of it but make sure each is cooked soft.
- In addition you can even add fennel seeds or cumin seeds along while cooking rice.
Use a heavy bottomed pot to make dum biryani.
Always brush the bottom with little oil to make it greasy and to avoid burning or sticking. - The spice level is medium if you want add more red chilli powder, green chillies to make it more spicy.
How to make Chana Dum Biryani
1.To begin with soak chana overnight or for atleast 8-10 hours.
2.First pressure cook along with enough water and salt for 5 whistles in low medium flame. Cooked chana should be soft when pressed but not mushy.
3.Soak saffron in warm milk, mix it well and set aside.
4.Whisk thick curd and set aside.
5.Soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins.Rinse well , drain and set aside.Chana dum biryani is little time consuming but with a bit of prepreparations this can be made easily.
6.To a pan – heat oil , ghee add cashews fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
7.Now add sliced onion fry until golden brown and set aside.
8.Now add all the whole spices along with green chillies, ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
9.After that add onion fry until golden.
10.Next add tomato, fry until mushy and raw smell leaves.
11.After that add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder along with mint and coriander leaves. Give a quick saute, do not burn the spice powders.
12. Add cooked chana along with whisked curd.
13.Mix it well. Let it start to boil.
14.When it starts to boil cook covered for few mins until the mixture becomes slightly thick.
15.The curry has become thick. Switch off and set aside.
16.After that to a big pot add 4 cups water along with whole spices like star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves along with salt.Let it boil then add soaked, drained rice.
17.Cook exactly for 5-6 mins not more than that.
18.It should break like this and not become soft when pressed. Make sure rice is cooked only till 3/4th done.
19.Drain water and keep the cooked rice aside.The cooked rice itself is so aromatic that the kids could’t wait for chana dum biryani to get ready.
20.These steps should be done off the stove. Brush the bottom of the biryani pot with little oil.
21.Add 3/4 th of prepared chana gravy to the pot.
22.Now next layer:add rice along with fried onion and half of mint and coriander leaves.
23.Next add rice as top final layer along with remaining 1/4 portion chana gravy. 
24.Add remaining fried onion,coriander, mint leaves along with essence, saffron milk.
25.Close with a tight lid.If there is any opening seal with chapathi dough. My lid is tight so sealed just the hole on the lid.
26.Heat dosa tawa. Keep the flame as lowest as possible.
27.Keep the biryani pot on the dosa tawa.Dum cook in lowest flame for 10 mins. Switch off and set aside for for 5-10 mins undisturbed.
28.Finally open,the aroma is just so so good.
29.Fluff it gently. Do not overmix.
30.Serve immediately without mixing much so that the layers are not completely mixed.
Serve hot!
Expert Tips
- Be very careful while cooking rice as if rice becomes mushy then dum cooking will not be possible.
- Rice should be cooked only till 3/4 th and it should break when you press and not soft.
- You can replace white chana with brown chana too or use a combination of it but make sure each is cooked soft.
- You can even add fennel seeds or cumin seeds along while cooking rice.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot to make dum biryani. Always brush the bottom with little oil to make it greasy and to avoid burning or sticking.
- The spice level is medium if you want add more red chilli powder, green chillies to make it more spicy.
Variations
- Instead of layering you can mix everything and dum cook for 10 mins too.
- To make it vegan you can replace curd with coconut milk. Replace milk with water for soaking saffron.
- You can skip tomato too if you prefer.
Serving and and Storage Suggestion
Serve chana dum biryani with onion raita or papad. This dum biryani keeps well for a day in room temperature and another day if kept in fridge. But it tastes best when served hot and with layers I would recommend finishing it off the same day itself.
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