Biryani originated in Mughal kitchens and is a mix between Persian pilaf and some Indian based spicy rice dishes. Another record states that Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s wife, noticed that the armymen were not given enough food, she directed the cooks to prepare a nutritious yet balanced dish for those men, and thus biryani was created.
However, Pratibha Karan, the author of the book Biryani, states that this dish originated in the South of India. The author claims that it was brought to the then subcontinent by Arab traders who derived it from pilaf varieties. She also claims that pilaf was an army dish in mediaeval India, and that armies ate it because it was a quick meal made in a single pod. This dish was later transformed into “Biryani” by using different methods and spices. That’s why there are so many varieties of it.
Whatever history says, Biryani is a dish that has been passed down through generations and will be forever maybe!
Ingredients
Cinnamon stick pieces… 4, 1 inch pieces
Cloves… 15
Star Anise… 1 piece
Bay leaves… 1 medium size
Green Cardamoms… 20
Mace or javitri… 1cm x 1cm piece
Coriander seeds… 1 tsp.
Whole black pepper… 1 tsp.
Goat/Mutton (with bone) … 1.5 kg
Basmati rice… 1 kg
Thinly chopped onion… 3 medium sized
Fresh ginger garlic paste…
4 tablespoons
Chopped coriander leaves… 1 cup
Chopped mint leaves… 1 cup
Fresh lime juice … 7 tablespoons
Green chilies… 6-7
How to Make Biryani:
The delicately spiced and fragrant layers of biryani rice surrounded by juicy, tender meat and spices are pure bliss! Let’s look at how to make this biryani at home.
Meat Marination
Let’s get started on the meat marinade. Mutton biryani is made with goat or lamb on the bone. Wash it thoroughly, then drain any remaining water.
Then, make a paste by using fresh ingredients to give the meat a nice, spicy, and tasty punch. Assemble the cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, ginger slices, coriander leaves, cloves, and chilies. Now, combine all of these ingredients to make a paste.
Then, in a bowl, combine thick yoghurt, garam masala powder, birista, and ground paste, and then marinate the meat in it.
Other ingredients for the masala base include cumin seeds, sliced onions, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, and chilies. Red chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder are among the spice powders used.
Pressure Cooking Meat
1 tablespoon ghee in a pressure cooker set on medium heat
Mix in the marinated mutton.
Pour in about 1.5 cups of water.
Pressure Mutton should be cooked until tender.
The time it takes for the mutton to become tender will be determined by your pressure cooker. In my pressure cooker, 20 minutes of pressure cooking is enough to tenderize
the meat.
When the meat is done, remove it from the stock and place it in a separate bowl.
Cooking the Onions
2 tablespoons cooking oil in a medium-sized saucepan
Combine cumin seeds and shahi jeera in a bowl.
When they begin to sputter, add the onions.
To make the onions cook faster, season them with salt.
Stir-fry the onions for about 10 minutes, or until they turn a dark brown color.
To expedite this step, you can deep fry the onions instead.
2 tablespoons of the fried onions should be set aside for garnish.
Cooking Rice
Soak the rice for a quarter hour after cleaning and washing it.
Then combine enough water, ghee, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cloves, star anise, cardamom, and salt in a large pot. Boil the water.
When the water begins to boil, add the soaked rice and stir to combine.
Cook the rice until it is 90% done.
Setting Up Biryani
Heat a flat pan over medium heat.
Place the mutton pan on this flat pan.
This keeps the mutton from burning while the biryani cooks.
Spread the rice evenly over the mutton (immediately after straining).
Sprinkle the rice with the orange and red saffron milk.
Place the lid on and garnish with the remaining coriander, mint, and fried onions.
Make certain that the lid’s vent is covered.
Cook the rice for 10 minutes on medium heat, then 15 minutes on low heat.
Biryani is done!
Some Tips
- Having a general meat-to-rice ratio in mind ahead of time will keep you in the lead. You’ll never have to deal with the meatless only rice stage of a biryani pot when the biryani is almost finished. Sometimes you have a lot of meat but everyone wants juicy biryani rice.
- Because rice is the main ingredient, its quality is critical; use basmati or other high-quality long-grain rice.
- The most important flavour enhancer in any food is salt. If your rice lacks salt, your biryani will be flavourless. Taste the water to see if there is enough salt in it for boiling rice; it should have a soupy salt level.
