Donne Biryani is a spicy, aromatic pulao style biryani made with short grain rice (seeraga samba rice ) , special blend of spices and herbs. This is a famous Biryani native of Bangalore , Karnataka . As biryani is served in "Donne” ( eco friendly palm leaves , shallowed plates and cups ) , it igets the name Donne Biryani .
Serve Donne Biryani with Coriander Chicken Gravy , boiled eggs , Onion raita and wedges of lemon and onion .
Other similar recipes which we enjoy the most are Chicken Pulao and Ambur Biryani
This post shares have images clicked on different occasion and updated . As my original recipe was published in Jan 2014. Over the period of time , recipe has been updated for betterment.
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What is Donne Biryani?
Unlike authentic Biryani, donne biryani has no layers of masala and rice nor rice is cooked separately . Instead , cooking method is similar to any Pulao. But its cooked with mutton/chicken stock.
In Bangalore there is a restaurant known as Shivaji Military Hotel and it is said that , Donne Biryani was their own creation. It is popular as “Banashankari Donne Biryani” .
But the restaurant is very small and over crowded all time. So I often opt for take away from this place.
After tasting Donne Briyani from Shivaji Military Hotel often and trying lot many times I finally hooked up to with this recipe which tastes very close Banshankari Donne Biryani. So I can call this as a copycat ,Donne Biryani recipe.
This Donne Biryani is our family favorite , along with this we have few more family favorite recipes Koli Saaru , Mutton Chops , Chicken Pepper Fry dry and Chicken Ghee roast
Ingredients
Though list of ingredients looks lengthy , its more of spices which are readily available in any Indian Kitchen , short grain rice known as seeraga samba rice ( jeera rice ) , chicken or mutton and few herbs.
Check this image for ingredients used to make donne biryani recipe
Chicken / Mutton - You can either use Chicken or Mutton to make this biryani . Meat with bone is recommended to make Donne Biryani . My personal favorite is Mutton Donne Biryani .
Rice - short grain rice known as Seeraga Samba is used to make this recipe. Seeraga Samba is also known as Zeera rice . It's aromatic and adds lot of flavor. Incase if it's not available , you can use basmati rice but for sure you'll be compromising on flavor.
Whole Spices - Bay leaves , Cinnamon stick , Cloves , Mace, Fennel seeds, Shah Jeera (Caraway Seeds) , Peppercorns, Green Cardamom , Black Cardamom , Stone flower , Star Anise are used. Most importantly , Stone flower and fennel seeds , adds typical flavor to donne biryani , so try to use it. To make Biryani , always use premium quality spices .
Produce - You need fresh Coriander leaves , Mint leaves , Onion , Garlic , Ginger and green chilies to make this recipe.
Marination - Hung Curd , Ginger , Garlic , red chili powder , turmeric , lime juice ,salt and oil are used.
Other ingredients - Oil , Clarified butter , lime juice, salt and most importantly Kasuri Methi ( Dry Fenugreek Leaves ) are used. Don't skip to use Kasuri methi because it's a star ingredient in Donne Biryani .
Tips and Variations
You can always make donne biryani with either Chicken or Mutton.
Though there is no Veg Donne Biryani , you can still try it with mixed vegetables by reducing spices ( as vegetables , don't require so much amount of spices ) and keeping the ingredients and basic cooking procedure same.
Main flavor to this biryani comes from spice and herbs blend , try to use all the mentioned spices from the ingredient list to get a authentic taste.
Cooking rice in prepared chicken or mutton stock adds lots of flavor than cooking everything together. So take some time to cook separately for getting actual taste.
In fact , Mutton Donne Biryani will me more flavorsome in comparison with Chicken Biryani.
FAQ's
Can I use long grain Basmathi Rice ?
Yeah , you can definitely use and Biryani will taste good too. But you may loose out those flavors from Seeraga samba rice.
Can I make in Instant Pot ?
Yes, you can make this recipe in the instant pot. Follow the same recipe instruction and press the “rice” button and cook.
What is the liquid to rice ratio to cook Seerega Samba Rice?
Its 1.5 liquid for every 1 cup of Seeraga Samba rice. So be careful while adding water.
Can I cook everything together instead of preparing chicken/mutton stock?
If you need depth of flavors in biryani , I recommend to cook rice in stock. But , anyways you can cook everything together.
What preparations , I can do before hand to speed up the process?
You can prepare chicken stock from marinated chicken previous day and use it in the recipe the following day . Also you can fry ever spices , blend masala and keep in refrigerator to use on the following day.
How to store left overs?
Left over donne biryani tastes great the following day . Stays good for a day in refrigerator. Store in air tight container , reheat and serve.
What are the serving suggestions for chicken donne biryani?
Donne Biryani pairs well with simple onion cucumber raita and chicken chops masala. Always serve donne biryani with boiled eggs, raita , lemon wedges and onion slices.
Watch Video
How to make Donne Biryani :
Preparations
Firstly , marinate 700 - 750 grams chicken with all the ingredients listed under "Marination" for minimum 30 minutes, keep in refrigerator preferably.
Soak ½ kilo Jeera rice /samba rice for 30 minutes , drain water and set aside. Jeera rice is a short grain rice with its own aroma.
Whilst in a pan /pot , add oil , ghee and fry all the whole spices listed under " grinding". Add ginger paste ( or 2 inch ginger) , garlic paste ( or garlic cloves 20- 22 ), onions 3 no's medium size ,fry till raw smell vanishes.
Add green chilies 6-8 no's , depending on the spice . Preferably add spice variant green chilies and fry well. Finally add Mint and Coriander leaves saute for a minute .
Let it cool down completely. Once it's cools down , in a mixer jar blend to a smooth paste without adding water.
To make chicken stock for donne biryani
In a pressure cooker or a pot , heat 1 teaspoon of oil .
Add cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamoms . Let spices release its oil then add marinated chicken . Stir well and cook for 6-8 minutes .
Add 3.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and cook chicken . Alternatively , you can pressure cook for 1 whistle .
Once chicken is cooked , separate stock and chicken. Set aside.
To make biryani
In a thick bottom pan/handi or same pan . Heat oil , ghee add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, black Cardamom, green cardamom and star anise.
Saute for 2-3 minutes till spices release oil and aroma wafts.
Now add ground masala paste and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.
Add cooked chicken pieces , mix well and cook for a minute. Add drained jeera rice and mix well everything.
Mix jeera rice with chicken pieces and cook for 3- 4 minutes. Now add reserved chicken stock to rice and mix well everything.
When it comes to boil , stir well everything from bottom .
When rice is almost cooked for about 80 % , finally add kasoori methi / dry fenugreek leaves , lime juice and mix well.
Lastly , cover with a lid , place any heavy object and cook on dum for 20 minutes on sim .
After 20 minutes , turn off the flame.
Open the lid , fluff rice and serve with onion tomato raita and boiled eggs.
This post has been updated from the archives, was first published in January 2014.
Recipe Card
Donne Biryani Recipe | Easy Chicken Donne Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
For Marination
- 700 grams Chicken
- ½ cup Hung Curds
- ½" inch Ginger , crushed to paste
- 4 Garlic cloves medium sizes , paste
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Refined Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For Masala Paste
- 3 Onions medium size , sliced
- 6-8 Green Chilies , spice variant
- 2" inch Ginger or 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
- 20 Garlic Cloves or 2 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- 2 " inch Cinnamon Sticks
- 4 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon BlackPeppercorns
- 2 Strands Mace /Javitri
- 3 Green Cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon Saunf /Fennel Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Stone Flower /Dagad Phool
- ½ teaspoon Black Jeera /Shahi Jeera
- ½ cup Mint leaves
- ½ cup Coriander Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee /Clarified Butter
For Cooking Chicken Stock
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2-3 Cloves
- 2-3 Green Cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3.5 cups Water
- Chicken marinade
For Biryani Rice
- 500 grams Jeera Rice / Seeragam Rice
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 Bayleaf
- 4 Cloves
- 2" inch Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 2 Star Anise
- 2 Marathi moggu / Kapok seeds , optional
- 2 tablespoon Kasuri Methi /Dry Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 - 1.5 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt or as required
Instructions
- Wash and clean chicken , drain water completely .
- Marinate with all the ingredients listed under marination for minimum 30 minutes or more ,preferably keep in refrigerator.
Directions for Masala Paste
- In a pan / kadhai , heat 1 tablespoon of oil and ghee ,add all the whole spices listed under masala paste and fry well ,till you get aroma of the spices.
- Add roughly chopped onions, ginger ,garlic and fry well till raw smell goes off.
- Add green chillies and fry well. Finally add mint and coriander leaves mix well and turn off the heat.
- Allow it to cool, Once it cools down grind it to a fine paste without adding water.
For Preparing Chicken Stock
- In a pressure cooker or a open pan , add 1 teaspoon of oil , whole spices and marinated chicken .
- Cook for 5 minutes, once chicken starts changing the color and juices starts to release, add 3.5 cups of water (for 700 to 750 grams chicken ) and bring it to boil , until chicken is cooked. Alternatively you can pressure cook for a whistle.
- When chicken is cooked , Turn off the stove and separate chicken pieces and stock. If cooking in a pressure cooker , when pressure releases, open lid and separate chicken and stock and set aside.
For Preparing Biryani
- Wash and soak jeera/seeragam rice for 10-15 minutes,drain water and keep it aside.
- In a thick bottom pan, heat ghee ,oil add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom,cloves , star anise and fry well till spices leaves aroma to oil.
- Add above ground masala paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cooked chicken pieces to green masala paste and fry well.
- For this add soaked and drained rice, mix well.
- Now add chicken stock to rice ,mix well . Add about 11/2 to 2 teaspoon of salt and cook rice.
- When rice is cooked to about 80 % , add Kasuri methi, / dry fenugreek and lemon juice .
- Mix well close tight lid, place a heavy pot filled with water and cook on sim for 20 minutes, Dum cooking.
- After 20 minutes , own lid , fluff rice and serve hot.
- Serve hot with raita, boiled eggs ,onion rings and lemon wedges.
Anonymous
Seems simple enough to make... Will prepare it sometime. Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous
Hi , this is the second biryani recipe trying form ur blog. Ambur star biryani was already super hit at home and this is Amazingly good, tried it out today and literary everyone praised it .Thanks again for this recipe.
Muktha
Hi , it sounds so cool. Thank you
Muktha Gopinath
You are Welcome.Yeah,its simple and tastes really good especially because of stone flower.
Deepak
You have asked to take 7 cups of water in 2* people. But when cooking we add 3.5 cup to make chicken stock. When do we add the 7 or 3.5 cups of the water
Muktha
Hi Deepak , It's only 3.5 cups of water required in the whole recipe. For 500 grams rice , 3.5 cups water is sufficient in this recipe . I couldn't find 7 cups water mentioned in the recipe card. Let me know, if I have done mistake anywhere. Thanks
Muktha
Hey Deepak ,this recipe serves for 5 people. For doubling or tripling the recipe , 2x or 3x ,please note all other ingredients are also doubled or tripled in ingredients measurements. Hope this helps
Z I N G
Amazinnnnggggg...!!!!
Deepti
Amazing recipe. Making it for the 50th time maybe.simole love it.Thanks for sharing.
Muktha
Thanks Deepti , it means a lot to me.
Gopinath Thimmegowda
Awesome it is
Muktha
LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sowmya
I tried this Muktha....tasted yummy... Thanks for the recipe
Muktha
Thanks Sowmya , do try my other recipes too 🙂
Rahul
I messed it a little bit, however it came out very well! This is the best Donne Biriyani recipe online I think.
Muktha
Thanks Rahul. It's a very easy recipe ,quite popular in Bangalore.
Shwetha
I tried it.Its the best Donne biryani recipe.Tastes yummy.Thank you
Muktha
I'm so glad Shwetha , u liked this. Love to hear more from you. Do try other recipes too. If you could give star rating for this recipe , then it would be even more great 🙂 Thanks again
Shwetha
From 1 to 5,I can give 5...it’s so yummy!
Muktha
Thanks Shwetha 🙂 my pleasure
Viji
This is brilliant , loved the taste . Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, my family is very happy after they tasted it. Please keep sharing more recipes. Will share this with my friends n family !!
Muktha
Wow Thanks Viji , for your wonderful review. Such comments surely helps to bring the best out of me . Definitely ,I post many more recipes in the same category. Keep in touch .
Deepa GV
Tasty , wonderful ,
Muktha
I am glad ,you liked it. Thanks Deepa
Deepa GV
Tasty, can you do the same with vegetables
Muktha
Hi Deepa , S I have done many times with vegetables where baby potatoes are main ingredients, it tastes delicious. I do have a recipe lying in draft , I'll try to post it soon. Just subscribe for mails , you'll get the recipe in your inbox directly when I post.
Anantha
Loved the recipe and my fly loved it ....thanks for sharing
Muktha
Thank You , it's my pleasure .
Deepa GV
Nice , tasty , easy
Muktha
Thanks Deepa
Anonymous
Delicious biryani 😋
Deepa GV
Nice tasty easy , less number of ingridents required and very simple
Deepa GV
Tasty , wonderful delicous
Vrinda Punjabi
It was so similar to Donne biriyani !!! Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe !!!
Muktha
Hi Vrinda , Thank You. Glad you liked it. Yes its similar and easy when compared to regular biryani. If you can spend some more time and cook in dum you will get the actual taste.
rupa
this is nice biryani i will try this, thanx for the good recipe
Muktha
Welcome Rupa , definitely you won't be disappointed. Let me hear from you once after you try. Thanks
Sathish
No 1 on Google Search for Donne Biryani
No wonder its Supeerrrrrrrrrr tastyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!
Loved it...Thanks
Muktha
Thank you for the kind words 🙂
Manohar Hk
Hi Muktha good day , I prepared this biryani and it was a hit. It was really tiresome for me but worth the effort. Everyone liked it. I missed star anise and stone flower as they weren’t there at home. They must have added more flavours. I was wondering so much salt mentioned, usually every recipe the salt will be as required. Your salt measurements were so perfect. I feel if we prepare the green paste before n store in fridge biryani preparation won’t take much time. Thank you very much for a wonderful recipe.
Regards
Manohar
Muktha
Hey Manohar , I'm glad everyone loved this. We'll stone flower adds lots of flavour in this recipe ,next time if you get it anywhere, please do add it. Its adds good aroma and flavors, I insist. Coming to salt 😂😂😂, I really don't remember giving the measurements for salt. But roughly it's always 2 Tsp for 250 grams of uncooked rice. Yes , definitely you can prepare a paste ahead , store in refrigerator and use it the next day. Thanks again Manohar for taking your time out to comment.
Nikhil
Thanks Muktha for sharing this recipe!
What do you suggest I change in the recipe to make Mutton biryani?
Muktha
Hi Nikhil.....,May be you need to pressure cook 1-2 whistles more for mutton , thats it. This comes out really well, blindly you can follow this recipe...., Its fail proof. Definitely , you will love the taste.Thank you
Khushboo Singh
Right from the start, it gave me a positive feeling and as I proceeded, the fragrance was getting so intense and much similar to Military hotel's Biryani, along the way of cooking. Turned out even better.
I also tried Archana's Kitchen's recipe but this was way better. 😍
Muktha
Hi Khushboo , Thanks for your positive feedback...., your words really motivates me to bring out best from my cooking. I'm glad that you liked this recipe. Do try more recipes from my space and flood my comment section 🙂 🙂 🙂 ha ha ha . Thanks again
Supriya
Hi...
I tried this recipe today and my husband just loved it.. Asked me to make this donne biryani henceforth. Thank u so much
Muktha
Hey Thanks so much Supriya for taking your time to comment . I'm glad to know that your partner loved it. Hope you come back for more recipes, cheers
Anonymous
Lovely
Vinay
I have tried it twice so far. Tastes like the Biryani I used to eat in Bangalore! Amazing recipe! Thank you so much!
Muktha
Hey , I'm really glad to know this. Great you loved it and cooked for 2nd time. Lots of love. Thank you.