BIRYANI

Welcome! everyone in the Desi food. So, today we are going to discuss about the most famous and most favorite food of Asia, Biryani. Do you know where it comes from? What is it's origin? If you don't know then don't worry. I will give you complete information about it.

There are many stories on the origin of Biryani. Originally, it was introduced during the Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, His queen Mumtaz Mahal is reportedly thought to have inspired the dish in the 1600’s.On the  visit to the Indian army barracks, she found the soldiers heavily undernourished. The queen requested the chef to prepare something that combined both meat and rice and provided a balance of rich nutrition and protein. What the chef created was the famous "biryani". Because of its connection to the royal courts of the Mughal Empire, it also stands out as a dish reserved for the most special of occasions. We used to serve this dish at Eid, wedding ceremonies. The Mughal Emperors were known to lavish in luxury, wealth and fine dining, and biryani became a perfect staple dish to suit. It has perfect taste of perfection.

The name derives from the Persian word berry  which means fried or roasted. Birian means a ‘fried before cooking’. The dish is made with a blend of aromatic spices, Basmati rice and a choice of meat: lamb, chicken or fish in a rich sauce. Alternatively, it can be made with some vegetables. It is seasoned in a number of the  ways. Spices like cardamom and cinnamon add aroma. Bay leaves, fresh coriander and mint leaves can really bring the dish to life. Many people also add nuts and dried fruits to dish to encourage both another texture and flavor. Cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and apricots are the most commonly used. For a decorative finish, yellow or orange food coloring is used to dye the rice. Biryani is such a recipe which is loved all over Asia. It had become the part of our dining since last 600 years and now it has also been subdivided into different names and forms which depend upon the name of the area. Like, Karachi biryani, Bombay biryani, Shahi biryani, Kolkata biryani,  Sindhi biryani and so on. Every city has it's own type of biryani with just a little difference in taste and texture. As biryani name is originates from Persian language So, we must knew about "Dum pukht" literally translates from Persian as ‘slow oven’. It is one of the most refined methods of cooking, used in both India and Pakistan for the last 200 years. The cooking process takes place over a low flame where ingredients are put in a sealed container to allow the meats to tenderize in their own juices.

Recipe of Shahi Biryani:

Ingredients Of Shahi Biryani:

• 1/2 Kg mutton (cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup onions, sliced
• Ghee (for frying the onions)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/4 cup clotted cream
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves (to garnish), chopped
• For the marinate:
• 1 cup onions, grated
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp black cumin seeds and salt to taste
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• For the rice:
• 2 cups basmati rice (cleaned and soaked in water)
• 2 Green cardamoms
• 2 Cloves
• 1/2 tsp black cumin seeds and a piece of cinnamon-(broken into smaller pieces)
• to taste salt
• 1/2 tsp saffron (soaked in 1/4 cup of warm milk)
• 2 tbsp. ghee

• How to Make Shahi Biryani ?

  • 1.Mix together all the spices and marinate the meat in it for 4 hours:
  • 2.Heat enough ghee in a broad heavy-based pan. Fry the onions till brown and crisp. Strain onions from the ghee and transfer on to an absorbent paper and set aside.
  • 3.In 1/2 cup of the ghee that is left in the pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, stir a few times till they change color a little and keeping the heat high, add in the meat mixture.
  • 4.Stir-fry meat over high heat till the pieces look opaque. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring a few times till the meat is tender. Sauté till the water dries up and fat separates.
  • 5.Add water and cook further, in case meat has not cooked through.
  • 6.If meat cooks through before the water dries up, uncover the pan, and let water evaporate over high heat. Remove pan from stove and add the fried onions, cream and coriander leaves and mix well. While the meat is cooking, drain the rice and set aside.
  • 7.Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and add the black cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Stir a few times and add the rice and the salt. Now add 2 1/2 cups of water, and bring to boil.
  • 8.Lower heat, cover and let the rice cook for 8 minutes. Shut off heat, leaving pan on stove. The rice should be almost done.
  • 9.Half an hour before serving, divide the rice and meat into halves each. Take half the meat out of the pan, leaving one layer at the bottom. Spread this layer well in the pan.
  • 10.Now cover this with a layer of half the rice, sprinkle half the saffron flavored milk over it, and then add the second layer of meat and finally the other half of the rice. Sprinkle the rest of the milk and saffron mixture over rice.
  • 11.Seal pan with wheat flour and place on a griddle over low flame for half an hour. Alternatively, arrange in an ovenproof dish and place in a pre-heated oven for about half an hour.
  • 12.Serve in the same dish or mix gently and transfer on to a serving dish.