Biryani originated in Persia and was brought to the South Indian state of Hyderabad by the travellers and merchants. It is a dish made up of basmati rice and spices with a combination of either meat, fish, eggs or vegetables.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1. Spring Lamb or Sheep Meat with bone - 4 kilos
2. 4 cups or 1.5 kilos Basmati rice
3. 3 tbsp Shazeera
3. 3 tbsp Shazeera
4. 3 dry Bay leaves
5. 5 Cloves
6. 3 Cinnamon sticks broken
7. 2 tbsp sunflower oil
8. 1/4 cup Ghee
9. 5 strands of Saffron for flavour and colour
9. 5 strands of Saffron for flavour and colour
10. 1/4th tsp Orange food colour
11. 1 cup milk
For Marination:
For Marination:
1. 4 Green Chillies
2. 4 tsp Coriander powder
3. 4 tsp Cumin powder
4. 3 tsp Chilli powder or according to taste
5. 3 tsp pepper powder
6. 1 Onion cut thinly and fried till golden in colour
7. 4 tsp Salt according to taste
8. 1 bunch Corainder leaves washed
9. 1 bunch Mint leaves washed
10. 2 tsp Shahzeera
11. 4 Black Cardimoms
12. 4 Green Cardimoms
13. 4 Cloves
14. 3 Cinnamon sticks broken
15. 1/2 cup lemon juice
15. 1/2 cup lemon juice
16. 4 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste
17. 2 tsp dry Ginger powder
18. 3 cups fresh Curd or Yogurt
19. 1/4 cup sunflower oil
Preparation:
Cut the meat into medium sized pieces in a large mixing bowl and mix all the dry ingredients used for marination starting with salt. Traditionally in Hyderabad the marination is done in 'lagan', which is a wide bowl with slightly high rising edges. Mix them well with hands or with fork. Then add all the remaining ingredients into the meat and finally add the Curd and mix well again and let it marinate for 2 hours.
Meanwhile wash the Basmati rice properly and add water to it and let it soak for upto 1 hour. The Basmati rice preferred is India Gate Classic which is aged 1 year and has fine, long grains.
Mix milk, saffron and food colour into a mixture and keep aside.
Start the cooking with boiling 15 cups of water in a big vessel or 'deghcha' which is traditionally used in Hyderabad. Then, add salt, Shazeera, dry Bay leaves, Cloves, Cinnamon sticks broken, 2 tbsp sunflower oil into it. When the water starts boiling, then add the soaked Basmati rice into it.
Keep checking the rice while it boils and stop the stove when the rice is about 3/4th cooked and not fully cooked. Then, drain the water and transfer rice into a bowl working quickly. Add the marinated meat mixture to the big cooking vessel and layer it with some rice. Then sprinkle fried onions on it, mix some rice with the leftover marination spices mixture and layer it. Then, cover it with the entire remaining rice.
Pour ghee on top in a swirly circular way.
Pour the milk and saffron mixture in a swirly circular way on the top. Cover the vessel with a lid tightly and put some weight on it. Light the stove and heat this vessel on medium heat for 5 minutes and then on very low heat for about 45 mins to an hour.
During this time the fragrant Biryani smell will start spreading in the kitchen.
During this time the fragrant Biryani smell will start spreading in the kitchen.
Tip for smoky flavour(optional):
Prepare an aluminium foil square box. Burn a piece of charcoal till its red and put it in the aluminium foil box and pour 1/2 tsp of Ghee on top of it and sprinkle some garam masala.
Put this box immediately on top of the cooked Biryani and close the lid. Let it remain there for 5 minutes, then remove this aluminium foil box from the Biryani vessel. This step will give an original charcoal, smoky flavour to the Biryani.
Remove the Biryani from heat and then you will notice the cooked rice grains standing vertically on top. Mix it from bottom to top and serve with cut boiled eggs, fried onions, and cashews on top of serving dish. Enjoy !!
