Biryani – The ultimate ode to meat

Hyderabadi Dum Biryani

Cooking this is bound to make you feel a strong sense of heritage and lineage. This dish of the Nizams is nothing short of royalty at its best.

Chicken             1 kg                                   Cardamom            5 nos.
Bay leaf            2 nos.                                 Star Anise          2 nos.
Basmati Rice        1/2 kg                                 Fennel Seeds        2 tsp.
Clove powder        1/2 tsp.                               Cinnamon powder     1/2 tsp.
Onion               3 nos.                                 Peppercorn powder   1/2 tsp.
Curd                2 cups                                 Milk                1/2 cup
Lemon Juice         3 tbsp.                                Saffron             1 pinch
Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tsp.                                 Green Chillies      3 nos.
Chilli powder       1 tsp.                                 Mint leaves         2 tbsp.
Coriander leaves    a handful                              Water               3 cups  
Oil                 5 tbsp.                                Salt                to taste

1. Begin with dissolving saffron in the milk
2. Brown the onions in the oil on medium flame. Let it cool; then crush it to a semi-powdered texture.
3. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, chillies, red chilli powder, half portion of mint and coriander, salt to taste, and importantly, the browned onions and top it all with curd and the onion-fried oil. Set to marinate for 2 ½ hours.
4. Cook the chicken with the marinade in a heavy-bottom pan, till chicken is cooked through.
5. Parboil rice in water with bay leaves, whole cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Drain excess water.
6. Coat another heavy-bottom pan with ghee and layer up. First rice then chicken and repeat.
7. Pour saffron milk on top, close tightly with lid (use the wheat dough seal, if you can) and cook on medium indirect heat (place on a tava over the stove) for 20 minutes, then on low heat for 15 minutes.
8. Serve hot with spicy brinjal curry

Awadhi Lamb Biryani

A particularly juicy version of biryani that exudes a delicacy vibe you will succumb to.

Lamb                     500 g                                 Basmati Rice             1 cup
Oil                      4 tbsp                                Onions                   3 nos.
Ginger garlic paste      1 tbsp.                               Black cardamoms          2 nos.
Whole black peppercorns  1/2 tsp.                              Curd                     1 cup
Fennel seeds             1 tsp.                                Mace                     2 peels
Cinnamon                 1 long stick                          Salt                     to taste 
Bay leaf                 1 nos.                                Green cardamoms          6 nos.
Shahi Jeera              1/2 tsp.                              Cloves                   6 nos.
Saffron                  a pinch                               Milk                     1 tbsp.
Cumin seeds              1/2 tsp.                              Nutmeg powder            1/4 tsp.
Cloves                   5 nos.                                Green cardamoms          6 nos.
Red Chilli powder        1 tsp.                                Turmeric                 1 tsp.
Garam Masala             1/2 tsp.

1. Grind all the dry spices to make a fragrant spice mix.
2. Parboil rice in lamb stock (simmer cleaned lamb with onion, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, black cardamoms, fennel seeds, mace, and cinnamon for 1 hour).
3. Marinate lamb pieces in ginger-garlic paste, chilli and turmeric powder, spice mix and curd for about 2 hours.
4. Fry thinly sliced onions in a pan, transfer lamb marinade to the pan once onions are translucent and cook on low heat for half an hour.
5. Add saffron milk, garam masala, mace, and layer the lamb and rice.
6. Seal tightly with lid and cook on low heat for half an hour.
7. Serve hot

Malabar Prawn Biryani

Have your kitchen smelling of the fresh, earthy smell of the west coast with fresh prawns and this authentic recipe.

Prawn               500 g                                     Tomato              2 nos.
Bay leaf            2 nos.                                    Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tsp.
Star Anise          2 nos.                                    Green Chillies      3 nos.
Cardamom 2 nos.                                               Chilli powder       2 tsp.
Jeera Rice          3 cups                                    Mint leaves         4 sprigs
Fennel Seeds        2 tsp.                                    Coriander leaves    a handful
Cloves              5 nos.                                    Coconut Milk        2 cups
Cinnamon stick      1/2 stick                                 Water               3 cups
Onion               2 nos.                                    Oil                 3 tbsp.
Curd                1 cup                                     Salt                to taste

1. To begin with, you need to get the aroma going lest you begin to doubt why you’re cooking when you could just order marinated prawns and eat them. We’ve deviated, coming back, temper (roast in a heavy bottom pan or cooker) cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, star anise in a cooker till fragrant.
2. Now add oil, when heated through, sauté onions, and ginger garlic paste until raw smell of the paste turns to an appetising fried aroma.
3. Add rest of the wet and dry ingredients (save the water, coconut milk) and fry on medium heat. When cooked through, add curd and then the de-veined prawns. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat and add coconut milk and water measuring the water, and coconut to a 1:2 ratio (1 cup rice : 2 cups water).
4. Bring to boil, then add pre-soaked rice, salt to taste, mix well and pressure cook for 10 min.
5. Serve hot

Sindhi Mutton Biryani

No hassle, one-pot biryani that excels in both taste and texture.

Goat meat           1 kg                                        Basmati Rice        2 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder   1 1/2 tsp.                                  Turmeric powder     1 tsp.
Garam masala        1 tsp.                                      Coriander powder    2 tbsp.
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp.                                     Tomato              4 nos.
Cloves              5 nos.                                      Green chilli        6 nos.
Mint                1 handful                                   Lemon               4 tsp.
Yogurt              2 cups                                      Onion               4 nos.
Salt                to taste                                    Oil                 2 cups
Bay Leaf            2 nos.                                      Cinnamon            2 sticks

1. Fry onions in a pot till softened.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste, and all the whole spices and fry till fragrant.
3. Add all the powdered spices, curd and cut goat and cook
4. Grind tomatoes and add to pot along with the green ingredients (chilli, coriander, mint) and bring to boil.
5. Add parboiled rice with a pinch of garam masala and cook with a closed lid for about half an hour.
6. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve hot

Chicken Tikka Biryani

This one is a bonus recipe for patiently reading so much, just get pre-marinated chicken tikka and cook rice as mentioned below and you’re done!

Pre-marinated Chicken tikka     250 g                              Ginger garlic paste             1 tbsp.
Cinnamon                        1 stick                            Milk                            1/2 cup
Green cardamom powder           1 tsp.                             Fenugreek Leaves                2 tsp.
Onion                           1 nos.                             Bay Leaf                        1 nos.
Coriander Powder                1 tsp.                             Red Chilli powder               1/2 tsp.
Basmati Rice                    2 cups                             Saffron                         1 pinch

1. Pre-soak rice and parboil with all the whole spices. Drain excess water
2. Grill pre-marinated chicken tikka on skewers.
3. Chop coriander leaves and onions and fry in oil with ginger-garlic paste, cardamom and red chilli powder on medium heat.
4. Add chicken tikka to the masala with saffron milk and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Layer rice and chicken tikka and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes with a tight lid on
6. Serve hot

Comment below and tell us which ones you tried.