Biriyani is a dish that is made up of meat and rice, layered and cooked together with some spices… It is derived from the Persian word ‘Birian’ which means to roast before cooking.
This very tasty dish originates from Arabia or Persia. The story goes that nomads and tribesmen carried some dried meat and rice with them during their travels, and they layered the rice and meat and added some dried herbs and nuts and let it simmer on a stove fire. firewood for some time and then they buried him. under the sand for a few hours, after which the dish was ready. It was quite a simple way to prepare biriyani in those days, making use of nature and its resources.
Biriyani has taken many different forms since then, becoming a gourmet dish, which has evolved and perfected to such an extent that one now comes across at least 50 varieties of biriyanis. I may be wrong there, as the number may be higher.
Biriyani has rice and meat as the basic ingredients. The rest of the ingredients, the spices that compose it vary.
Hyderabad in India is known as the Biriyani capital of the world. There are amazing varieties of Biriyanis prepared here in different restaurants. Some of those recipes are closely guarded by restaurants and families as they have been passed down from generation to generation. The Mughals brought Biriyani with them when they invaded India. It is one of the many influences that came to India with the Mughals and became extremely popular here and evolved further. It also acquired some local flavors to suit the spice-loving Indians…
A good Biriyani consists of perfectly cooked meat and the right mix of herbs and spices, cooked together with the rice. Rice and Meat never mix during cooking. Both are cooked separately. The final stage of the preparation consists of placing the two layers alternately and generally cooked in the oven or on a traditional wood fire, with gentle heat. One is careful not to mix the Biriyani even while serving it.
Here I am going to share my recipe that I have tried to simplify to my own practical needs. I remember the good old days during my childhood when Biriyani preparation would start early in the morning in my ancestral home, with the men chasing the chicks (for Chicken Biriyani) or the cattle or Mutton Biriyani and the dish would be prepared on a charcoal fire. . . Whereas now things are simplified, I go to the supermarket for the meat and the other ingredients and use the rice cooker to make the Biriyani and find that it tastes no different than the other more complicated forms of Biriyani tasted.
Ingredients:
Basmati rice 3 and 1/2 cups washed and soaked in water for 2 hours
500 gms meat or chicken, cut into medium pieces
Onions 4-5 slices
2 large tomatoes sliced
Yogurt 1 cup
Ginger and garlic paste 1 tablespoon sp
Gharam Marsala powder 2 tablespoons sp
Red chili powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder a pinch
salt to taste
butter 1 cup
Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom
For the Green Marsala Pasta:
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mint leaves a bunch
Coriander leaves a bunch
Green chiles 4-5 or more if needed
A small piece of ginger and 5-6 garlic flakes
Grind the above into a fine paste.
Some Saffron threads soaked in a quarter cup of milk
Preparation method:
Drain the rice. In a large skillet or wok, heat 4 tablespoons of Ghee and fry the rice until lightly crisp, add the cloves, cinnamon, crushed whole cardamoms, grated nutmeg and transfer the rice to a rice cooker and add 5 cups of water and enough salt. Let it cook.
Cut 3 onions into long thin pieces, and fry with a little ghee until very crisp and golden and set aside.
Marinate the meat with the Marsala gharam, turmeric powder, chilled powder and yogurt and ginger-garlic paste. Pressure cook with green chilies, cilantro leaves and tomatoes.
In a deep fryer, heat a little ghee and fry the rest of the onions, add the ground Marsala green pasta and mix well. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, and then transfer the contents of the pot. Let the meat mixture simmer for a couple of minutes or until the sauce thickens and is well blended.
For layers:
Now we have to assemble the various ingredients together. In the rice cooker spread a little ghee and a layer of rice, and pour over the rice a little of the saffron milk, then a layer of the meat curry, and lastly sprinkle some fried onions. Repeat this process, finally sprinkle onions on top and cook for 5-6 minutes, and the Briyani should be done by then.
It is usually served with raita prepared with raw onions, tomatoes, cucumber and yogurt, mixed with some chopped fresh coriander leaves and green chilies.
Summary: It’s a lovely dish that tastes great.