Dubai: It’s hard not to love biryani, but getting it right is harder. Mastering this slow-cooked rice-based dish takes time, focus and dedication. Every Indian state has its version, made with regional spices and cooking methods and eaten with great relish.
If you feel like having a spicy Biryani, then there is Hyderabadi biryani and for a more subtle one, go for Lucknowi biryani. The ingredients in every biryani recipe are different, and a unique blend of spices or biryani masala makes or breaks the taste. Rice and meat are layered, one step at a time, in a delicate manner and sealed to slow-cook (a cooking technique - dum).
In India, biryanis are reserved for special occasions and festivity. However, you will come across many Indian households that have a day (usually weekends) dedicated to making and eating biryani like a biryani timetable. Its preparation becomes a communal activity where every member gets involved. From picking up fresh herbs and spices to buying meat and marinating it, many hands come together to cook biryani. For the love of Biryani.
If you are in the mood to cook biryani with your family over the weekend, Gulf News has compiled five popular Indian biryani recipes. Here they are:
Mumbai Biryani:
We launched the Cook with Gulf News Food series with this iconic recipe. Our guest cook - Rubina Sajan, showed how to make this delicate blend of Sindhi and Memoni Biryani. So, what makes Mumbai biryani different is the sweet, mild flavour of dried plums and kewra essence. This recipe uses a special biryani khada (whole) masala powder (see recipe) and two potatoes, fried.
Watch this step-by-step video to making the iconic biryani from Mumbai, India
Thalassery Biryani:
This famous biryani from Kerala is sweet and savoury because it has cashews and raisins in its list of ingredients. Unlike other biryanis, which use long-grained basmati rice, this one uses small-grained, fragrant rice called ‘jeerakashala’ or biriyani rice. What’s unique to this recipe? The spice blend includes ‘Malabar spices’ and the famed pepper called Thalassery black peppers. Here is a step-by-step recipe for making the spice blend and dish.
Lucknow Mutton Biryani:
A famous ‘Awadh style’ biryani, it is believed to be one of the oldest forms of biryani. So, what makes Lucknowi biryani different from the rest? It is the cooking method. The meat is cooked in herbs and mild spices and layered onto partially cooked rice, sealed in an earthenware pot and slow-cooked with a generous amount of ghee or clarified butter. You get tender, melt-in-the-mouth mutton wrapped in mild spices between perfectly cooked rice.
If you are in the mood to make this legendary biryani, then try the recipe here.
Bengaluru’s Shaadi Ki Biryani:
Winning hearts over the years is Bengaluru’s famed Shaadi ki biryani or biryani made at weddings. This biryani has acquired a name, and our International Editor, Omar Shariff feels strongly about this recipe. This biryani is also served at restaurants and popular eateries in Bengaluru, India, by the same name.
The rice in this biryani is cooked until 30 per cent done and then transferred to a big pot or degh. It is then cooked until 70 per cent done with the meat. The trick is to get the rice perfectly done, not cooked, undercooked or overcooked, just 70 per cent. Here’s the trick to making this famed recipe.
Guntur Gongura Biryani:
This dish originates from the coastal district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh - Guntur. A special kind of paste made of edible leaves called ‘Gongura’ or Kenaf leaf is a crucial ingredient in this biryani. These leaves are widely-grown in Asia and some regions of Africa too. This Indian regional biryani is rich, cooked in butter and cream and has spice levels peaking the Scoville scale. If this has you craving for a rich spicy biryani, try the recipe.
Tell us about your favourite biryani recipe at food@gulfnews.com
