aloo biryani recipe with step by step photos – layered and dum cooked biryani made from baby potatoes. hence the name dum aloo biryani or aloo dum biryani.

sharing a potato biryani recipe which is a family recipe and loved at home. this is my mom’s method of preparing biryani. it was time i shared her recipe. here i have used baby potatoes, but you can use even mix veggies. you can also use regular potatoes instead of baby potatoes. i have also shared another version of baby potato biryani recipe.

whenever i want to have a special rice based dish then biryani is always in my mind. i have shared around 27 veg biryani recipes on the blog. few of the popular biryani recipes you can try are:

• paneer biryani
• mushroom biryani
• veg biryani
• awadhi biryani

when i make this biryani with baby potatoes, i just shallow fry to save time. if you want you can even boil or steam them. if making with veggies, then no need to fry. just cook the veggies in the biryani gravy. in the recipe i have shown the main steps together. however, while cooking, you can cook the rice and veg gravy simultaneously.

you can serve dum aloo biryani with raita or biryani shorba.

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aloo biryani

Author:Dassana Amit

Prep Time:30 minutes

Cook Time:30 minutes

Total Time:1 hour

Course:main course

Cuisine:hyderabadi,south indian

Servings (change the number to scale):4

4.67 from 3 votes

hyderabadi style dum aloo biryani recipe with step by step photos - layered and dum cooked biryani made from baby potatoes. hence the name dum aloo biryani or aloo dum biryani.

INGREDIENTS FOR aloo biryani

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

for cooking rice

• 1.5 cups basmati rice OR 300 grams basmati rice
• 5 cups water for cooking rice
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 2 cloves (lavang)
• 2 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• 3 to 4 strands of mace (javitri)

for ground paste

• 2 green chillies (hari mirch)
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (pudina patta)
• ½ inch ginger - roughly chopped (adrak)
• 5 small to medium garlic - roughly chopped (lahsun)
• ⅓ cup fresh curd (yogurt or dahi)

for frying

• 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 250 grams baby potatoes or 12 to 15 baby potatoes
• 15 cashews (kaju)
• ½ tablespoon raisins (kishmish)

for dum aloo biryani gravy

• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• 1 small to medium tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
• 3 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 2 cloves (lavang)
• 125 grams onions OR 2 medium onions OR 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions
• 75 grams tomatoes OR 1 medium tomato or 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder
• ½ cup water

for layering aloo biryani

• 1 pinch of saffron (kesar)
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water

HOW TO MAKE aloo biryani

cooking rice for dum aloo biryani

• rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice (300 grams) very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. soak rice grains in enough water for 30 minutes. 
• on a medium to high flame, bring to boil 5 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 small to medium tej patta, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 strands of mace.
• when the water comes to boil, add the rice. do not reduce the flame and cook the rice.
• cook rice till its ¾th done or 75% cooked. check the doneness by biting a few grains of rice. you should get a slight bite in the rice.
• then drain the rice in a colander. if you want you can even rinse the cooked rice with fresh water. keep aside.

preparation to make gravy for potato biryani

• in a chutney grinder jar or small grinder, take 2 green chillies, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, ½ inch ginger (roughly chopped), 5 small to medium garlic (roughly chopped).
• add ⅓ cup fresh curd (yogurt or dahi).
• grind to smooth or a semi fine paste. keep aside.
• heat 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) in a pan.
• when the ghee becomes hot, add peeled baby potatoes (250 grams or 12 to 15 baby potatoes). if the potatoes are large, then halve or quarter them and then add.
• fry the potatoes on medium flame till they are 90% cooked or almost cooked.
• remove with a slotted spoon and place the potatoes on kitchen paper towels.
• next add 15 cashews (kaju) in the pan and fry till the cashews become golden. remove and keep aside.
• next add ½ tablespoon raisins (kishmish) and fry till they become plump. remove and keep aside.
• in the same pan now add the following spices - 1 inch cinnamon, 3 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tejpatta. the oil will be hot, so the spices will crackle as soon as you add them.
• quickly add 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions.
• begin to saute the onions on low to medium flame stirring often till they turn golden or caramelize. 
• then quickly remove half of the fried onions from the pan.
• keep the fried onions aside along with remaining fried ingredients.

making gravy for potato biryani

• now add ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• sauté the tomatoes till they turn mushy.
• keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder. mix very well.
• then add the ground paste. mix very well and saute the masala till you see oil releasing from the sides.
• now add ½ cup water. season with salt as per taste. mix very well.
• add half of the fried potatoes and mix again. 
• simmer the gravy on a medium flame for  8 to 9 minutes or till the gravy thickens a bit. keep aside.

assembling and layering aloo biryani

• when the gravy is cooking, soak 1 pinch of saffron (kesar) in 3 tablespoons warm water. keep aside.
• now take half of the gravy and layer it in thick bottomed pan.
• layer half of the rice.
• next add some of the fried potatoes, cashews and raisins. layer with some of the fried onions.
• add half of the saffron dissolved water.
• repeat the gravy, rice, fried potatoes, onions, cashews and raisins layer. add the remaining saffron soaked water. also add 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water.

cooking potato biryani

• seal the pan with aluminium foil.
• cover the pan with its lid and place it on a preheated tava or griddle. preheat the tawa on a low to medium flame for 5 minutes before you place the pan.
• dum cook biryani on low flame or sim for 30 minutes. 

  if baking – preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius and then bake the potato biryani in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. please remember to use an oven proof glass utensil like the pyrex bowl for baking in the oven. you will have to assemble the aloo biryani as mentioned above in the oven proof utensil. cover with aluminium foil or the pyrex bowl lid and then bake.
• give resting time of 5 to 7 minutes and check the aloo biryani. 
• if you see a lot of gravy in the biryani, then cover and continue to dum cook. there should be no liquid or gravy at the bottom of the pan. 
• if there is some gravy, then seal again and continue to dum cook aloo biryani for some more minutes.
• you can garnish with some mint or coriander leaves if you want. serve hyderabadi style dum aloo biryani with your favorite raita or salan.

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how to make dum aloo biryani recipe

cooking rice:
1. rinse 1.5 cups basmati rice (300 grams) very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. soak rice grains in enough water for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes drain all the water and keep the soaked rice aside.

2. on a medium to high flame, bring to boil 5 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 small to medium tej patta, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 strands of mace. taste the water and it should feel slightly salty. if the water is not slightly salty then add a bit more of the salt.

3. when the water comes to boil, add the rice. do not reduce the flame and cook the rice.

4. cook rice till its ¾th done or 75% cooked. check the doneness by biting a few grains of rice. you should get a slight bite in the rice.

5. then drain the rice in a colander. if you want you can even rinse the cooked rice with fresh water. keep aside.

preparation to make gravy for potato biryani

6. in a chutney grinder jar or small grinder, take 2 green chillies, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, ½ inch ginger (roughly chopped), 5 small to medium garlic (roughly chopped).

7. add ⅓cup fresh curd (yogurt or dahi).

8. grind to smooth or a semi fine paste. keep aside.

9. heat 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) in a pan.

10. when the ghee becomes hot, add peeled baby potatoes (250 grams or 12 to 15 baby potatoes). if the potatoes are large, then halve or quarter them and then add.

11. fry the potatoes on medium flame.

12. fry till the potatoes till they are 90% cooked or almost cooked. they just need to become crisp and golden from the edges. remove with a slotted spoon and place the potatoes on kitchen paper towels.

13. next add 15 cashews (kaju) in the pan and fry till the cashews become golden. remove and keep aside.

14. next add ½ tablespoon raisins (kishmish).

15. fry till they become plump.

16. remove and keep aside.

17. in the same pan now add the following spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 3 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tejpatta. the oil will be hot, so the spices will crackle as soon as you add them.

18. quickly add 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions.

19. begin to saute the onions on low to medium flame stirring often.

20. first the onions will become light golden. so continue to saute them.

21. saute onions till they turn golden in color and caramelize.

22. quickly remove half of the fried onions from the pan.

23. keep the fried onions aside along with remaining fried ingredients.

preparing gravy for potato biryani 

24. now add 1 medium tomato (chopped) or ½ cup chopped tomatoes.

25. sauté the tomatoes till they turn mushy.

26. keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder. mix very well.

27. then add the ground paste.

28. mix very well and saute the masala.

29. saute till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala.

30. now add ½ cup water.

31. season with salt as per taste. mix very well.

32. add half of the fried potatoes.

33. simmer the gravy on a medium flame.

34. simmer for 8 to 9 minutes till the gravy thickens. you will also see some specks of ghee on top of the gravy. keep aside.

assembling and layering aloo biryani

35. when the gravy is cooking, soak 1 pinch of saffron (kesar) in 3 tablespoons warm water. keep aside.

36. now take half of the gravy and layer it in thick bottomed pan.

37. layer half of the rice.

38. next add some of the half of the fried potatoes, cashews and raisins.

39. layer with half of the fried onions.

40. add half of the saffron dissolved water.

41. repeat the gravy, rice, fried potatoes, onions, cashews and raisins layer. add the remaining saffron soaked water. also add 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water

dum cooking potato biryani

42. seal the pan with aluminium foil.

43. cover the pan with its lid and place it on a preheated tava or griddle. preheat the tawa on a low to medium flame for 5 minutes before you place the pan.

44. dum cook biryani on low flame or sim for 30 minutes. if baking – preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius and then bake the potato biryani in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. please remember to use an oven proof glass utensil like the pyrex bowl for baking in the oven. you will have to assemble dum aloo biryani as mentioned above in the ovenproof utensil. cover with aluminium foil or the pyrex bowl lid and then bake.

give a resting time of 5 to 7 minutes and check the aloo biryani. if you see a lot of gravy in the biryani, then cover and continue to dum cook the aloo biryani. there should be no liquid or gravy at the bottom of the pan. if there is some gravy, then seal again and continue to dum cook biryani for some more minutes.

46. you can garnish with some mint or coriander leaves if you want. serve dum aloo biryani with your favorite raita or mirchi ka salan.