As we celebrate World Biryani Day today, let's gear up for the tantalizing aromas of spices and fragrant rice as they waft through kitchens. Biryani, with its roots tracing back centuries and spanning across cultures, is a testament to the harmony of a myriad of ingredients coming together to create a symphony for the senses. With the succulent meat pieces and the saffron-infused rice, Biryani indeed has numerous tales to tell.
Talking about this, Dheeraj Mathur, who is a Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel & Towers Kaushambi Delhi NCR said, "Biryani is a rice dish cooked in a layered manner with meat and vegetables. It originated in Persia, but it was made popular by the Mughals, who ruled India for several centuries (1526 to 1857). The popularity of biryani spread throughout India after that time.Today, you can find many different types of biryanis depending on where they were adapted from: Hyderabadi biryani uses basmati rice and dum cooking method; Lucknowi biryani uses pilaf style rice; Kolkata biryani uses fried chicken instead of mutton or beef; Sindhi biryani has more gravy than other kinds."
"Biryani is a dish that has different flavours and styles in different states of India. Although the basic concept of rice and meat remains the same, each region’s spices, ingredients, and cooking techniques make each biryani unique," he added.
On this occasion, let us look at some Biryani recipes and ways to prepare this delectable dish:
In this regard, Navaj Sharief, who is the Managing Director of Sharief Bhai said, "Biryani has to be cooked over moderate heat. The ingredients used are crucial, such as oil, ghee, cardamom, and other garam masala spices. The quality of meat and rice ae very important. Once the Aqni (spiced gravy) is fully cooked, the parboiled rice is added in two layers, and some Aqni masala gets between the layers, ensuring that the flavour permeates the entire pot (hundi). Saffron is added on top, and the Biryani is put on dum (slow cooking) to avoid steam loss. Then, flour is used to seal the hundi all around."
SOME BIRYANI RECIPES TO TRY AT HOME:
1. Kolkata's Culinary Gem- Kolkata Dum Biryani (By Amandeep Singh, Executive Sous Chef, The Westin Mumbai Garden City)
In the bustling streets of Kolkata, the Kolkata Biryani's mystic blend of spices and tender meat takes diners on a memorable journey.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 500g chicken, mutton, or vegetables
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 cup potatoes, fried
- 1/4 cup mustard oil
- 1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 green cardamom pods
- 4-5 cloves
- 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp saffron strands soaked in warm milk
- Salt to taste
Spice Mix (Biryani Masala
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp Gulab water/Kewra water
Method:
- Rinse and soak Basmati rice for 30 minutes. Parboil the rice with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Heat mustard oil until it smokes, then reduce the heat. Add whole spices and sliced onions. Fry until onions turn golden brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
- Add the spice mix (Biryani Masala) and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and the oil starts separating.
- Add yogurt, meat or vegetables, and salt. Cook until the meat is partially cooked.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, layer half of the parboiled rice, followed by the meat mixture, fried potatoes, and a sprinkle of saffron milk.
- Repeat the layering process with the remaining rice and saffron milk. Drizzle ghee on top and rose water.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it on a very low flame for about 20-25 minutes (dum cooking).
- Kolkata Biryani is ready when the rice is fluffy and the meat or vegetables are tender. Serve hot!
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 2-3 green cardamom pods
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, etc.)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk
- Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish
- Fried onions for garnish (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
- In a large pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the whole spices (cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom), drained rice, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the rice is 70% cooked. Drain and set aside.
- In a separate pan, heat the ghee and vegetable oil. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute until the raw aroma disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft.
- Add the mixed vegetables and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Lower the heat and add the plain yogurt. Stir continuously to avoid curdling. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Layer the partially cooked rice over the vegetable mixture in the pot. Sprinkle garam masala on top.
- Drizzle the saffron-infused milk over the rice for a beautiful color and aroma. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the rice to steam. You can also place a heavy pan on top of the lid (dum cooking) to trap the steam.
- Once done, fluff the biryani gently with a fork. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and fried onions if desired.
- Serve your unique veg biryani hot with raita or a side salad.
Ingredients:
For marination:
- Bone in mutton: 500 gms
- Yogurt: 1 cup
- Ginger garlic paste: 2 Tb spoon
- Red chilli powder: 1 tea spoon
- Turmeric powder: ½ tea spoon
- Salt: to taste
For the rice:
- Basmati rice, soaked for 30 mts and drained: 2 cups
- Water for boiling the rice: 4-5 cups
- Green cardamom pods: 3
- Cloves: 3
- Bay leaf: 1
- Salt: to taste
For biryani:
- Onions, thinly sliced: 2
- Tomatoes, chopped: 2
- Green chillies, slit: 3
- Fresh coriander leaves, chopped: ¼ cup
- Mint leaves: ¼ cup
- Ghee: ¼ cup
- Vegetable oil: ¼ cup
- Cumin seeds: ½ tea spoon
- Fennel seeds: ½ tea spoon
- Saffron soaked in a little warm milk: a pinch
Method:
- In a bowl, combine the mutton pieces, yogurt, ginger- garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 4 hours
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the soaked and drained rice, green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf and salt. Cook the rice until its 70% cooked. Drain and set aside
- Heat ghee and vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
- Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown
- Add the marinated mutton to the pan with onions. Cook until the mutton changes color and becomes slightly browned
- Add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil separates from the masala
- Add half of the cooked rice as the first layer
- Sprinkle half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves over the rice
- Place the remaining rice as the second layer
- Top with the remaining coriander, mint leaves and ghee. Drizzle the saffron milk over the top
- Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid to trap the steam. Cook on low heat for about 30-40 minutes until the mutton is tender and rice is aromatic and fluffy
- Serve hot with raita and onion salad
4. Assamese Kampuri Biryani Recipe: (By Chef Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Director of Culinary at Roseate Hotels & Resorts)
Ingredients:
- 250 gms Basmati rice
- 400g chicken curry cut
- 2 potatoes, cut into halves
- 50 gms boiled peas
- 50 gms diced carrot
- 50 gms beans
- 80gms curd
- 2 bay leaf
- 3 green cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 4gm nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp mustard oil -
- 1 gm saffron
- 2 sliced onions
- Oil for frying
- 5 tbsp ghee
- Fresh Coriander leaves
Method:
- Marinate chicken with curd, powder spices and salt for around 3-4hrs.
- Boil rice separately till 80% with whole spices, bay leaf and salt. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat oil and fry onions till golden brown. Keep aside.
- Take a lagan and heat mustard oil and braise the marinated chicken for 18-20 mins. Add all cut vegetables and cook for another 7-8 mins.
- Now layer the biryani with cooked chicken and vegetables, parboiled rice, fried onions, chopped coriander. Add saffron water on top
- Put ghee on top and seal the lagan with a lid tightly. Cook in dum on very low flame for 20 mins. Keep aside
- Allow the rice to take all the flavors from spices and chicken for another 10-12 mins.
- Serve hot
5. Murgh Persian Biryani (By Dheeraj Mathur, Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel & Towers Kaushambi Delhi NCR)
For Marination
- 600-gram Chicken
- 200-gram curd
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 cup fry, brown and crushed onion
- 1 tsp salt or as per taste
- 1/4 cup coriander chopped
- 1/4 cup mint leaves chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 to 5 green chillies nicely chopped
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp oil
- For Rice, 500 gram old Basmati rice
- 4 litre water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 4 to 5 green cardamom
- 5 to 6 cloves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp oil
- 4 tsp salt
- For layering, 1/2 cup fried onion
- 02 Potatoes cut into dices
- 02 Tomatoes cut into dices
- Some fry cashew nuts, almond and raisins
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 2 tbsp milk
- Few strands of saffron
- 2 tbsp desi ghee
- 1/2 tsp kewra essence
Method:
- Take chicken and all marinate masala in large mixing bowl and keep aside for 2 hours to marinate. Fry Dice potato into oil and keep it separate .
- Take rice in a bowl wash it 2 or 3 times nicely and soaked in enough water.
- Now 4 liter water in a large vessel add cinnamon stick, salt, bay leaves, lemon juice, green cardamom and cloves, lemon juice and oil and boil when boil add soaked rice
- Let the rice cooked only 70%
- When done drain water from the cooked rice and keep rice separately
- Dissolve the saffron and in milk and keep aside
- Now take a Lagan or Handi and arrange a layer of 70% cooked rice over the marinate chicken, sprinkle some fresh chopped mint and coriander leaves, fried onion , fried diced potato , dice tomato and fry cashew, almond and raisins .
- Pour some saffron milk, desi ghee, kewra essence over the top
- For Sealing, place Aluminum foil on the top and sealed all sides nicely and cover it with lid
- For Dum, take a old tawa and place the biryani Lagan over it and cook for 10 on high flame,
- Now low the flame and let the biryani cook for 30 minutes
- When done serve hot with raita
6. Shahi Murg Bamboo Biryani (By Chef Jerson Fernandes, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach)
"One of the simplest yet most interesting and delectable recipes learnt during my forest camping days when Bamboo was the only source of steam cooking a perfect dum style biryani. This is a very unique biryani for the style in which its cooked, the earthy flavors from the marinated meat and delicate textures of the long grain basmati rice marinated with roasted spices and yoghurt marry each other really well promising to give a punch to your taste buds connecting you with the scent of nature. I have given my own little twist of taste, texture and flavor to this biryani by cooking it over live charcoal fire using dried coconut shells as fuel," said the chef.
Ingredients:
For marinating Chicken
- 3 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp biryani masala
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 lemon
- 250 grams with bone chicken
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ cup fried onions
- ½ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- 4 to 5 tbsp oil
- 4 cardamoms
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1/8 piece nutmeg
- 2 star anise
- 1 flower mace
- Salt as required
For Rice cooking:
- 1 cup basmati rice(1 cup-=250ml)
- 4 tbsp oil
- 4 cardamoms
- 1 kapok bud
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- ½ mace
- 1 star anise
- 1/8 piece nutmeg
- Salt as required
- 1/3 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp biryani masala
- ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 onion
- 2 green chilies
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
For assembling:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 cups water
- Aluminium foil to cover
- 2 to 3 bamboos green
Method:
Marinating the Chicken:
- Take chicken into a mixing bowl.
- Add whole garam masala spices, salt as required, turmeric powder, red chili powder, biryani masala, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, fried onions, half a lemon, yogurt, mint leaves, coriander leaves, oil and mix well.
- Leave the marinade for an hour.
Marinating the Rice:
- Take raw basmati rice into a mixing bowl.
- Add oil, salt, whole garam masala spices, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, biryani masala, onions, green chilies, mint leaves and mix well.
- Keep it aside for an hour.
Assembling:
- Clean the bamboo until you find no dust inside.
- Grease the inner part with oil.
- Put 2 spoonful’s of chicken marinade first and then 4 to 5 spoons of rice.repeat the process again.
- Add 1 ¼ cups of water.
- Water runs down to the bottom through the gaps.
- Cover the bamboo with an aluminium foil.
Making Bamboo Biryani
- Set fire using dry coconut shells over charcoal and put the bamboos on it.
- Leave for 30 to 35 minutes turning in between.
- Later remove it from the fire and leave for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve hot on a banana leaf.
Chefs Tip- Clean the bamboo by boiling it in hot water for 15 mins and then apply oil inside and leave it aside to rest before filling it.
Lastly, Sukesh who is an Executive Chef at Sana-di-ge Delhi said, "Biryani is more than just a dish; it's a captivating journey through time, culture, and tradition, all elegantly plated. Biryani is more than food; it's an emotion, a cherished connection to our roots. With an unwavering dedication to sourcing the finest ingredients, hand-selecting aromatic spices, and upholding the authenticity of techniques, biryani is a masterpiece and a harmonious blend of flavours and textures.