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Hyderabadi Biryani - The King of All Rice Recipes

by: Meenakshi

Biryani is a very popular recipe. It's a one dish meal as it has both Meat and Rice in one dish. The secret to a good biryani is in the quality and flavour of the basmati rice. Biryani is surely a popular food dish in India as there are 26 different types of 'Biryanis' in India. Many have been fascinated by its taste and the sheer brilliance of its preparation. 'Biryani', however has originated from Persia.

Derived from the persian word 'Birian',which means 'roasted before cooking', biryani is a mixture of rice(basmati), meat/vegetables, yogurt and spices. It is believed that an Arab trader called Taimor Lang(lame),brought it down from Kazakhstan via Afghanistan to Northern India. Another legend has it that Mumtaz Mahal,wife of Shah Jahan, invented this dish as a "complete meal" to feed the army.

Hyderabadi Biryani is a popular non-vegetarian food in India which belongs to Hyderabad. It is the traditional celebration meal prepared using Basmati rice, Mutton / Chicken / Beef and is a staple food of all die-hard Hyderabadi. The biryani is so named because it originated in the kitchens of Nizams (Rulers of Hyderabad) where they blended Mughlai cuisine with Andhra cuisine and thus resulted in Hyderabadi Biryani. There are basically two variants of Biryani the one is Kacchi (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani (cooked).

Hyderabadi Biryani is a popular non-vegetarian food in India which belongs to Hyderabad. It is the traditional celebration meal prepared using Basmati rice, Mutton / Chicken / Beef and is a staple food of all die-hard Hyderabadi. The biryani is so named because it originated in the kitchens of Nizams (Rulers of Hyderabad) where they blended Mughlai cuisine with Andhra cuisine and thus resulted in Hyderabadi Biryani. There are basically two variants of Biryani the one is Kacchi (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani (cooked).

Image credit: http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Dum_Biryani_Plate.jpg&usg=AFQjCNEgNg2wGxYPCa31hzow0exLE4SOjg

Veg Biryani :
Ingredients:

Basmathi rice 2 cups

Potatoes(you can even add cauliflower,carrot, beans along with potato) 3-4 Onions 2

Coriander leaves 15-20 strands

Mint(pudina) leaves 10

Green chillis 5-6

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tea spn

Curd 2 tbl spns

Food color(orange or yellow) a pinch

Biryani masala 1 tea spn

Salt

Oil 2 tbl spns

Ghee 2 tbl spns

Method:

Cook the rice with 2 drops of oil and salt (Oil doesn’t allow the grains to stick together) in around 1:3 water for 10min. (Rice should be only half cooked). Drain the water.

Grind coriander leaves, green chilies, mint leaves, ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 onion to a fine paste.

Add this paste, salt and curd to vegetables and keep it aside to marinade(optional - need not be marinated).
- Cut the onions into thin long pieces. Heat oil & fry them till they turn brownish. Separate out the oil from onions.
- Heat the oil(left out from frying the onions) in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the marinated mixture along with vegetable, salt (add less salt because it is already added to rice), 1/4th of the garam masala.
- Spread a thick layer of rice. Then spread a layer of onions, biryani masala, color(mixed in water).
- Again add a layer of rice & repeat the procedure given in this paragraph till all rice, onions, biryani masala, color is added. From above add ghee. Add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid & cook on low flame for about 10-15minutes. Then remove the flame & let it cook on the heated stove(without flame). Serve hot.
Note: If Biryani masala is not available or if you wish to use fresh masala, then dry roast the following and make powder.
- Cloves 6-7
- Cinnamon 2″ piece
- Cardamom 2
- Poppy seeds 2 tea spns
- Nut meg(Jayphal) 1

Image credit: http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kJ5lbd1RMNk/SUMdGNRHDCI/AAAAAAAAB68/dxkz_-q1XCs/s800/full%2Bveg%2Bbiryani.jpg&usg=AFQjCNG6ibG-Tg7pnnAoXXfDGRQ3H-PXXg

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani :
Ingredients:
For Rice:

2 cups basmati rice

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp ghee or butter

3 each of cloves, cardamoms, & cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 tsp black cumin seeds

For Mutton:

1/2 kg mutton

3 green chilies

3 large onions

3 tomatoes

3 each of cloves, cardamom & cinnamon

4 tsp ghee

1 bunch coriander leaves

1/2 bunch mint leaves

Masala 1:

1 large pod garlic

1 large piece ginger

Grind together to a fine paste.

Masala 2:

12 red chilies

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp khus khus seeds

Grind together to a smooth paste

Masala 3:

1/2 cup grated coconut

3 tsp chopped cashew nuts

1/2 cup yogurt

Grind together to a smooth paste

Hard boiled eggs for decoration

Method:
For Rice:

Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes, drain and keep aside.

Heat ghee, add the remaining spices for rice preparation and fry for 1 minute

Add rice and fry for further 2 to 3 minutes.

Add water, salt and cook till the water is absorbed. Allow rice to cool.

For Mutton:

Clean the meat, cut into pieces and soak in the yogurt.

Heat ghee, add spices, chopped green chilies and onions and fry till mixture turns brown. Also add masala 1 and 2 and stir well.

Now add the tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes.

Then add mutton pieces, coriander and mint leaves and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to taste.

Cook for 15 minutes and add masala 3. Cook till the gravy becomes thick.

Arranging the Biryani:

Divide rice into 3 parts and mutton into 2 parts.

Grease a dish and arrange alternate layers of meat and rice and meat, beginning and ending with rice.

Dissolve a little saffron or yellow coloring in 1/4 cup of milk.

Pour over rice, cover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins and hardboiled eggs.

Image credit: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/2268309263_54f3aabcdf.jpg

Ingredients Hyderabadi Biryani

1 kg: Meat

750 gm: Semi cooked rice

Sautéed brown onions to taste

1 tbsp: Ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp: Red chilli paste

1 tbsp: Green chilli paste

½ tbsp: Cardamom powder

3-4 sticks: Cinnamon

1 tbsp: Cumin seeds

4-5: Cloves

2 tbsp: Lemon juice

250 gm: Curd

4 tbsp: Clarified butter

A pinch: Mace

Mint leaves to taste

1 tsp: Saffron

½ cup: Water

1 tbsp: Salt

½ cup: Oil

Method :

Clean the meat.

Now in a pan add meat, salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, green chilli paste, sautéed brown onions, cardamom powder, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves, mace, mint leaves and lemon juice. Mix it well.

Add curd, clarified butter, semi cooked rice, saffron, water and oil and mix it well.

Now apply sticky dough on the sides of the pan.

Cover with lid to seal it and cook for about 25 minutes.

Hyderabadi Biryani is ready to eat.

Garnish with boiled eggs, sliced carrot and cucumber.

Serve hot.

Image credit: http://planyourdinner.com/recipe-photo/13.jpg

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani :
Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 Kg cut into big pieces.

Basmati Rice – 3 cups – soaked in water for an hour, washed and ready

Onions – 2 finely sliced

Cardamom Pods – 4

Cinnamon – 2 inch

Cloves – 4

Garlic Paste – 1 tsp

Ginger Paste – 1 tsp

Curd – 1 cup

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Chicken Stock – 500 ml

Saffron – 1 tsp- soaked in 5 tablespoons of water

Fried Onions – 1 cup – to garnish

Fresh Coriander Leaves – A bunch chopped – for garnishing

Butter or Cooking Oil – 6 Tablespoons

Method:

Marinate the chicken pieces with the curd, mixed with turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and cumin powder for about an hour.

Wash and soak rice in 41/2 cups of water for about an hour.

Then heat a shallow pan then add the butter or cooking oil, then add the sliced onion, salt, mint and the marinated chicken and sauté for a few minutes till the water gets evaporated.

Then add the soaked rice along with the water and boil the rice until it is half cooked, adding the cinnamon, coriander and the cumin seeds.

Pour a little clarified butter or oil and saffron water on rice and cook the rice on dum for about 30-45 minutes or until done.

Serve hot garnished with fried onion and fresh coriander leaves.

Image credit: http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://lifeismystery.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/chicken_biryani.jpg&usg=AFQjCNFdRR1mMyMTERdsNM_LRM0OJnPvQA

Biryani Ingredients:

1 cup sliced onion (fried in oil till crisp)

1/2 lb chicken

Chicken marination:

3 tbl spn chopped coriander leaves

2 tbl spn chopped mint leaves

1/2 tea spn ginger paste

1/2 tea spn garlic paste

3 green chillies

1/2 tea spn red chilli powder

4 cloves powdered

1″ cinnamon powdered

1/2 tea spn cumin powder

1/2 tea spn coriander powder

1/2 cup thick yogurt

Salt

Method:

Add all the marinade ingredients and 1/4 cup fried onion to chicken pieces and leave it aside for about 1hr (in refrigerator).

For rice:

1 and 1/2 cups basmati rice

1/4 cup onion

3 cups water

2 cloves

1″ cinnamon

2 cardamom

2 bay leaves

1/2 tea spn ginger paste

1/2 tea spn garlic paste

1/2 tea spn green chilli paste

1/4 tea spn turmeric

Ghee

Salt

Method:

Heat ghee and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, turmeric, onion and fry for a few minutes. Now add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add salt water and let it cook.

Putting everything together

Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add marinated chicken. Fry for about 2mins. If chicken leaves some water, that is fine.

Spread half the quantity of rice, followed by 1/2 the quantity of fried onion. You can add 1/4 cup water just to make sure the rice is completely cooked.

Spread remaining rice and then onion.

Cover the lid and seal the edges with dough. Cook on a medium low flame for about 30-45mins.

Serves : 2-3

Preparation time: 1 and 1/2 hrs

Image credit: http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://opinionsandexpressions.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/hyderabadi-chicken-biryani.jpg&usg=AFQjCNFzG0yQTswp337pJFBoSudHmEHi8g