Introduction
Rice is a staple food ingredient in many countries. It is served along with vegetables, meat, or sometimes even alone as a snack. One of the most famous rice dishes that people love to eat is biryani. Homemade Biryani recipe is a favourite for most people. No matter what the occasion is, Biryani is the perfect dish to celebrate anything. It is a blend of aromatic long-grained rice, meat, and spices that will leave you craving for more.
You can prepare biryani with meat or chicken or something as simple as peas or paneer. Biryani, as opposed to Pulao, requires cooking rice and meat individually before combining them in a dish by creating layers of each. The dum technique is one of the most well-known ways of making Biryani. It entails completely closing the vessel and keeping the lid closed to maintain the aroma within. After that, the Biryani is cooked over a low heat/dum.
If you love Biryani as much as we do, then here are five recipes that you can try at home:
Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe-
According to tradition, Hyderabadi biryani was invented by the royal chefs of the Nizam of Hyderabad, who cooked it for the royalty and nobles. One variation of the dish, called “pakki,” involves cooking basmati rice and meat separately and then layering them together in an earthen pot; the other, called “kacchi,” is made from raw marinated meat placed between layers of infused basmati rice. Both the variants are slow-cooked over a charcoal fire in a dough-sealed clay pot, giving them a distinctly rich, fragrant, and zesty flavour.
Lucknowi Biryani Recipe–
Lucknowi Biryani, also known as Awadhi Biryani (indicative of the region of its origin) is named after the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. It differs from the other types of biryani due to its method of cooking, wherein meat or chicken is stewed separately with saffron and spices, and rice is cooked in dum pukht style. Both are layered before being cooked together for hours until flavours are absorbed completely. The result is a soft, mild-flavoured Biryani.
Kolkata Biryani Recipe–
Calcutta biryani originated in Kolkata and is similar to the Awadhi biryani of Lucknow, although it has a distinct flavour. Calcutta Biryani is distinguished by subtle flavours with a tinge of sweetness, whereas the Awadhi biryani is characterised by more spicy aromas. It is made with light yellow rice that is layered with yoghurt-based meat, soft-boiled eggs, and potatoes. Traditional Kolkata biryani recipes call for the meat and potatoes to be slow-cooked in clarified butter (ghee), on low heat. Spices such as cardamom, mace, saffron, cloves, and nutmeg are then added to the ghee; after this, the uncooked rice, meat, and potatoes are layered in a large pot (handi) before sealing the pot and cooking it further in the dum pukht method.
Mumbai Biryani Recipe–
The Bombay biryani originated in the Indian city of Bombay, or Mumbai as it is now known. It is a layered rice dish, made with basmati rice that has been boiled with a variety of spices and mixed with chunks of chicken, mutton, lamb, or vegetables. In addition, crispy fried onions, fresh mint, and pickled plums are served together. The dish is typically finished with melted ghee on top and is eaten with cooling raita and fresh salad on the side. The presence of fried potatoes is one of this dish’s distinguishing features that is uncommon in other biryanis.
Chettinad Biryani Recipe-
Chettinad biryani, also known as Chettinad kozhi, is characterised by a combination of spicy rice and chicken dishes common to Chettinad cuisine of the Tamil Nadu region of South India. The biryani masala used in Chettinad biryani includes star anise, kalpasi (stone flower), Marathi moggu (dried flower pods), and other spices not found in traditional garam masala. The traditional dish is made with basmati rice or jerraka samba rice, Chicken pieces marinated with yoghurt, aromatic Chettinad spices, ghee, and herbs.
Conclusion
Biryani is an art that has been perfected over centuries through numerous experiments and improvisations, that has spread its wings across India and the world. A feast in itself, it is not just a dish of meat and rice but a happy blend of aromatic spices and flavorful ingredients that are cooked together to create a gastronomical paradise, one that is apt to suit all occasions. From simple home-cooked affairs to elaborate weddings, with every region and community putting its spin on biryani, this dish’s popularity shows no signs of abating.
