When a bowlful of fragrant basmati rice mingles with chunks of zesty succulent chicken, mutton or veggies marinated in tasty masalas, even a diehard fitness buff’s gustatory cells are sure to tingle! Now, to celebrate this plateful of goodness, World Biryani Day (July 3) was recently announced. And, what better way than to take an epicurean sojourn across the country to commemorate the occasion.
There are two types of biryanis: kuchchi and pakki. In the former, meat is overlaid with raw rice in a heavy-bottomed pan and cooked. Whereas, in the latter, cooked meat and rice are layered to bring forth a riot of flavours. A one-dish meal, there are enough varieties like Mughlai, Calcutta, Thalassery, Arcot, Sindhi, Kashmiri and more, with the dominant Awadhi and Hyderabadi biryanis, to ginger up any occasion. Be it a farewell party, a laidback Sunday brunch or a proper sit-down dinner — biryani will always make its presence felt.
Hyderabadi Biryani
Hyderabadi biryani owes its fame to Niza-Ul-Mulk, who was appointed as the new ruler of Hyderabad by Emperor Aurangazeb. It is believed that his chefs innovated around 50 variants with prawns, wildfowl, deer, and even rabbit meat. Whereas meat and chicken spiked with different flavours take centre-stage in other biryanis, it is the saffron-infused rice in the layered Hyderabadi biryani that holds sway. Served with raita and baingan or mirchi ka salan, it is an absolute treat.
Awadhi Biryani
If moist, tender and delicate flavours are what appeal to your tastebuds, then Awadhi biryani ticks right. The uniqueness lies in its cooking style – meat and rice are partially cooked individually first. This is followed by layering them using dum-phukt method of cooking with yakhni stock (prepared by boiling meat, steeped in roasted spices, over several hours), sealed with atta dough in an earthen pot. Burrani raita is its partner in crime.
Calcutta Biryani
It has an interesting history behind its origin. The deposed and legendary Nawab Wajid Ali Shah’s gastronomic cravings made him reinvent his favourite dish by replacing meat, due to economical restraints, with sautéed potatoes occasionally adding an egg to it. This descendant of Awadhi, is less spicy with yoghurt-based marinade and relies on cooking the ingredients separately. Rezala would be its accompaniment.
Recipes
Asha Bhosle’s Fish Biryani
Ingredients:
500 gm red snapper
300 gm fresh coriander leaves
60 gm ginger
150 gm red onion
40 gm garlic
20 gm salt
120 gm ghee
15 gm green chilli
5 gm bay leaf
300 gm yoghurt
15 gm garam masala
20 gm kashmiri chilli powder
50 gm coriander powder
60 gm almond powder
20 ml lemon juice
15 gm turmeric powder
30 gm saffron
300 gm basmati rice
20 gm fresh mint
100 ml milk
5 gm nutmeg powder
20 ml rose water
Fish marination: Clean the fish. Marinate it with salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, and keep aside for two to three hours. Take a pan. Add ghee and place the fish and shallow fry it on low medium heat until cooked. Keep aside.
Saffron water: Take a mixing bowl. Add milk, nutmeg powder, saffron, and rose water and keep aside.
Biryani masala: Gather all the ingredients--ginger, garlic, green chilli, and fresh coriander. Blender them and make a fine paste. Keep aside. Take a pan. Add ghee and crackle bay leaf. Add sliced onions and sautée till they turn golden brown. Then add the masala paste. Add salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder. Cook for 10 to 15 mins till you see oil starting to form. Now, add a mix of yoghurt and almond powder. Cook for seven to 10 mins and keep aside.
Biryani assembly: Add biryani masala and fish in the pan and cook for five mins. Add cooked plain rice on top of the biryani masala. Add fresh mint leaves, chopped coriander and finely sliced almonds and saffron water. Dum it for 15 — 20 min on low flame. Garnish with brown onion, fresh mint leaves and sliced almonds before serving.
(Veteran singer’s signature biryani recipe for Asha’s Wafi — Co-ordinated by Anita Raheja-Heena Agarwal)
Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani
Ingredients:
2 cup basmati rice
2 chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic
3 onions thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped French beans
¼ cup carrot diced
¼ cup green peas
½ tsp saffron soaked in 1 cup of milk
Cashew nuts and raisins
1 cup yoghurt
¼ tsp chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds
½ cup coriander paste
Chopped mint leaves
Fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
Whole garam masala (bay leaf, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1-inch cinnamon, 1 star aniseed)
Method: Wash and soak rice. Boil it with salt and whole spices. Drain boiled rice, keep aside. Melt ghee in a kadhai, add cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Add and sauté onion till golden brown. Add vegetables and spices. Stir fry veggies and mix curd in it. Simmer until vegetables cook. Sprinkle a little bit of saffron mixture and stir in coriander paste and mint leaves. Sprinkle some lemon juice. Spread half of the cooked rice in the kadhai. Repeat the same procedure by arranging the leftover ingredients in the same way. Top with remaining rice, saffron, lemon juice, mint and coriander leaves. Apply dough around the entire circumference and slow cook for 15-20 for a true dum experience.
(Recipe by Chef Shaeem Qureshi, Founder of Quraishi Hospitality Service)
Awadhi Murgh Biryani
Ingredients:
For Potli
50 gm ginger
20 gm coriander seeds
5 gm cinnamon
20 gm fennel
150 gm onion
30 gm garlic
Other ingredients:
1 kg chicken
1 tbsp cumin
10 cloves
3 star anise
8 green cardamom
1 tbsp black pepper
4 cinnamon stick
1 gm mace
250 gm ghee
30 gm ginger garlic paste
5 green chillies
100 gm curd
750 gm rice
5 ml saffron water
Method: Make a potli put in a handi with chicken and water. Cook till the chicken is ready. Strain and keep stock aside. Take a handi, add ghee and the whole spices. Add ginger-garlic paste and cooked chicken. Add slit green chillies and sauté well. Add curd and chicken stock with one-litre water. Bring to boil and add soaked basmati rice. Cook on dum for 25 mins. Add saffron water and ghee while serving.
(Recipe by Chef M Rehman, Founder, Chef Rehman Hospitality Services & Afreen Foods LLP)
Mutton Nalli (Lamb Shanks) Biryani
Ingredients:
1 kg mutton nalli
750 gms basmati rice
1 cup curd
½ cup milk
1 tsp garam masala
1 star anise
2 pinch saffron
2 pinch cardamom powder
2 tsp chilli powder
500 gm sliced onions
5 green chillies (slit)
½ tsp fennel powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp black cumin seeds
4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
8 green cardamoms
8 cloves
2 pinch each nutmeg
400 ml cooking oil
2 tbsp ghee
2 tsp kevda water
25 gm tamarind soaked in warm water
1 cup mint leaves
½ cup coriander leaves
75 ml water
For rice:
Rice soaked in water with salt for one hour
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 inch cinnamon
4 cloves
4 cardamoms
¼ turmeric in 2 tbsp warm milk with a pinch of cardamom powder
3 tsp sea salt
Method: Marinate mutton in whisked yoghurt with salt for one hour. Heat oil in a heavy pan and add sliced onion and cardamom. Sauté till light golden brown (barista), drain excess oil, and keep aside. In the same oil, reheat and add ginger garlic paste and whole masalas. Sauté until the essence is released. Add marinated meat and cook for seven-eight mins. Add water, fresh coriander, mint and slow cook till meat cooks and tenderises. Upon completion, add half of the caramelised onions (barista) to finish along with one teaspoon of garam masala. Add tamarind water, mix well, and check for salt and seasoning. Cook for two minutes. Boil six litres of water along with whole spices for the rice till it reaches a rolling boil. Add the soaked rice and two teaspoons of sea salt cooked till 85 per cent done. Drain the rice. In a handi, place alternate layers of rice, barista, mint and the cooked lamb shanks. On the top layer of rice, sprinkle two teaspoons of kewra water, two teaspoons of saffron milk and two teaspoons of turmeric milk and two tablespoons of ghee. Sprinkle nutmeg powder. Cover with foil and cook on low flame for 15-20 mins. Enjoy with the raita of your choice.
(Recipe by homechef Nasreen Navani of Masalaesque)
