Biryani is one of those single words that are enough to bring a smile to a foodie’s face. Eid is one of the best occasions to relish a Biryani.
Biryani is a traditional aromatic long grain basmati rice dish cooked with meat and assortment of flavourings, herbs and spices usually served with a yoghurt based dip called raita or spicy peanut-based gravy called salan. Almost all the chefs boast of their own unique recipe to prepared Biryani with an array of ingredients.
The history of Biryani is still unclear but one thing that is clear is the fact that Biryani has been with us since ages and is still a favourite among the masses. The word Biryani is derived from the Parsi word Birian meaning fried before cooking. In olden days, rice was fried in ghee to give the rice a nutty flavour and also forming a layer on the ice so that the rice does not stick or get mashed while cooking with the meat. After the rice was stir fried it was simmered in water with spices till half cooked.
The most appropriate and common choice of meat for Biryani is the baby goat. The meat is marinated in a paste of yoghurt, spices, herbs and papaya and is used the next day to get a soft and tender meat when cooked with rice.
The traditional way calls for an earthen pot or copper utensil called a handi. The rice and meat are layered; the top layer is always rice. The aromatic condiments like mint leaves, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, mace, rose water and coriander leaves are also inter-layered between each layer to make the dish more flavourful. The handi and lid is sealed with dough and some smouldering charcoal is placed on the lid to heat the Biryani from top and bottom. The lid is opened just before the dish needs to be served.
My Biryani Style
I always keep on enhancing the Biryani experience for my guests and try to make it in a unique way by draping the Biryani in bread dough and then baking it in oven. This method ensures that the Biryani is dum cooked with bread and is served along with raita and spicy gravy. Guests can break open the bread to allow the hot steam to vent out and then relish the Biryani with its bread.
Lamb Biryani
Serves 2
Ingredients
Mutton cubes 600 gm
Onion, sliced 1 cup
Ginger, chop 1 inch piece
Garlic, chop Few cloves
Coriander powder 3 tsp
Green chilies 3 no
Chili powder 1 tsp
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Cardamom, Cloves 3 no each
Peppercorns 5 no
Star anise 2-3 no
Cinnamon, stick 1 inch
Yoghurt 1 cup
Salt to taste
Desi ghee 3 tbsp
For Rice
Basmati rice 2 cups
Onion ¼ cup onion
Cloves 3 no
Cinnamon 1 inch
Cardamom 3 no
Bay leaf 2 no
Salt to taste
Desi ghee 5 tbsp
Saffron few strands
Rose water 2-3 drops
For Bread
Wheat flour 2 cup
Semolina ½ cup
Curd 1 cup
Caraway 1 tsp
Desi ghee 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Wash and marinate the mutton pieces with red chilli, ginger garlic and salt.
Roast and powder cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns.
Grind together red chillies, half the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies.
Heat ghee, add sliced onions and sauté and ground spices.
Add mutton, sauté well, add ground poppy seeds.
Add moisture and allow the mutton to simmer, keep covered.
Once the mutton is cooked, pour in remaining curd and season.
Sprinkle powdered spices and remove from fire.
For the Rice
Heat oil, fry onions and remove, add whole spices.
When spices crackle, add rice and fry for a few more minutes.
Add salt and double the quantity of hot water.
When rice is cooked and all moisture has evaporated, remove from fire.
For the bread
Mix all the ingredients together and then mix to form dough.
Make sure the dough is soft and not too dry/soft.
Knead well and then divide the dough. Now with a rolling pin, roll it out into circles.
For the Biryani
Place some prepared rice on the flattened dough and layer with mutton and then again with prepared rice, sprinkle some rose and saffron water on it and add some mint leaves and fried onion on it place another flat dough bread on top and seal the sides using a fork. Place on a baking tray and bake over medium heat for 10 minutes so that the bread is cooked and has nice golden brown colour.
Serve hot, garnished with fried onions, chopped coriander, mint and fried nuts and raita.
* Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to:
[email protected]
AROMATIC: Lamb Biryani.
