Warning:- Post is very lengthy but worth reading and making it.
When we think of biryani the first thing we get in our mind is the famous dum biryani of hyderabad.Apart from pearls hyderabad is famous for its dum biryani.Biryani is of two types pakki and kacchi gosh biryani.Pakki biryani is where mutton/chicken is cooked and layered with half-cooked rice and kacchi gosh is where raw mutton/chicken is layered with half-cooked rice.
Both of these types are cooked in dum i.e. A bowl is taken in which the mutton/chicken and rice are layered and sealed with chapathi dough and hot charcoal is placed above that and the flame is kept at low so that the mutton and the rice is cooked in slow process. We must ensure that vapours do not escape. Sealing with the dough is a cumbersome process, so I use aluminium foil to seal it and don’t use charcoal. I have been cooking this biryani every Friday since last 7 years, one can only close to the art of mastering biryani by preparing it regularly.
Learnt this biryani from a aunty in Muscat (oman) who is from Hyderabad. Had many disaster with this like once forgot to add oil,didn’t add salt, didn’t add lemon. Here goes the recipe.
Ingredients:-
For the rice
Basmathi rice 1/2 kg soaked for 2 hrs
Cinnamon 3 pcs
Cloves 4
Shahi zeera 1 tbsp
Green chillies 4
Big elachi 1
Small elachi 2
Pudina 1/2-1 cup
Soak rice with all the above ingredients for 2-3 hours.
For mutton/chicken/lamb
Chicken 1/2 kg
Onions 4
Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp
Curd 2 cups
Cinnamon 2
Cloves 3
Shahi zeera 1/2 tbsp
Japatri little
Lemon 1 big
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Elachi small 1
Pudina 1/2 cup
Green chillies 2 slited
Salt as per taste
For layers:-
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Garam masala 1 tsp
Saffron a pinch Milk 1/2 cup Oil 1/2 cup
coriander 1 cup
Fried onions
Method:-
Step 1
*Chop onions and deep fry onions.Keep half of the onions aside.
*Mix all the ingredients for mutton and half of the onions and marinate for 2-3 hours preferably over night. (I usually soak it at night and next day i prepare biryani)
*Soak saffron in the milk for 2-3 hours.
Step 2*Soak rice and all the masala for the rice.Once the water starts boiling add the salt.Cook till rice is half-cooked.
*Drain all the water in a strainer
Step 3*In a thick bottom vessel spread 2 tbsp of oil.Spread half of the marinated chicken.
*Spread half of the rice.Sprinkle 1 tbsp of lemon juice,sprinkle garam masala,2tbsp of oil.
*Then spread rest of the chicken followed by rest of the rice.Sprinkle 1 tbsp of lemon juice,rest of the garam masala and 2 tbsp of oil.
*Now spread fried onions over the rice and sprinkle saffron soaked milk.
*Then spread coriander leaves.
Step 4
*Cover the vessel with aluminium foil and put it on the stove.
*Firstly put it on a high flame for 30 sec and reduce to low flame and cook exactly for 30 minutes.
*Once switch off the flame,don’t open.Let it stand for another 10-12 minutes.
This is best served with mirchi salan and raita.
Note: Oil which is used to deep frying onions can be used in the layers.
Vapours should not escape, the foil should be very tight and if possible place a container with water above the foil so that vapours doesn’t escape.
enjoy biryani……………………………
