| EXOTIC
HYDERABAD BIRYANI |
 Hyderabadi
Biryani is a popular non-vegetarian variety of Biryani.
The Hyderabadi Biryani is so named as it is seen mainly
in the city of Hyderabad, India. The blending of mughlai
and andhra cuisines in the kitchen of the Nizam (leader
of the historical Hyberabad state), resulted in a dish
called the Hyderabad Biryani. It, like other biryanis,
is made using Basmati rice which is only found on the
Indian subcontinent. The spices and other ingredients
remain the same, however the method of preparation involves
more time.
There are 2 styles of preparing this variety. The Katchi
Biryani is prepared with the Katchi Yakhni method (with
raw gravy). The raw meat is marinated in curd and cooked
only by the dum, or the baking process, which is done
with rice. This is a challenging process as it requires
meticulously measured time and heat to avoid overcooking
or undercooking the meat. In Pakki Biryani, where the
meat is cooked with all the accompanying spices and then
the rice is simmered with the resultant gravy redolent
of mace, ittar and kewra in a sealed vessel with saffron
and cardamom. It is accompanied by side dishes like Mirchi
ka Salan, Dhansak and Bagara Baingan.
It is usually accompanied with Dahi ki Chutney, Raita
(a yogurt dish) or Mirchi ka Salan.The meat used in the
preparation is usually mutton, beef - popularly called
Kalyani Biryani - or, less frequently, chicken.There is
also a vegetarian version of the Hyderabadi Biryani in
which the place of the meat is taken by a mixture of vegetables
such as carrots, peas, cauliflower and potato. The vegetarian
version is called 'tarkari' biryani.
The Hyderabadi Biryani version of the mixed Vegetable
Biryani is the "Tahiri".
History of the Hyderabadi Biryani
Biryani is believed to have been brought to India by Taimur
Lang, or Timur, the lame. The classic biryani originated
in the mughal courts after they refined the dish with
cooking influences from the Persian courts. The Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb (1618 - 1707) brought the dish to Hyderabad
when he invaded the South and installed his representatives
as governors of the southern provinces. One of these governors
later became the Nizams of Hyderabad.
Preparation styles
 Preparation
styles can be broadly classified into two types,
Katchi Yakhni and Pakki Yakhni, based on the major
difference in the method of preparation
In Kacchi Yakhni (with raw gravy), the meat, marinade
and rice are layered raw and cooked only by the
'dum', or baking process. This is a challenging
process as it requires meticulously measured time
and heat to avoid overcooking or undercooking the
meat.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken preferably in 16 pieces and a couple
of drumsticks
- 1 kg Basmati rice
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste,
- 3 tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 100 g cashew nuts
- 4 or 5 bay leaves
- 4 or 5 cloves
- 2 cm long cinnamon sticks
- 6 to 10 green chillis ground to paste
- 3 or 4 cardamom pods
- 1 or 2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups mint leaves
- 1 cup coriander leaves(cilantro)
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tsp salt (according to taste)
- 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup oil
- 2 tsp dried coconut powder
- few strands of saffron
- 2 cups finely sliced onions
Preparation
- Make deep incisions on
the chicken flesh - deep enough for spices to get
absorbed but making them too deep could render the
pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt,
garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly
apply this paste onto the meat flesh and let marinate
for an hour.
- Heat about 100 ml of
oil. Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, depoded cardamom,
bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder,
and finally add onions(2). Wait a couple of minutes
to add mint leaves. When onions turn slight brown,
add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min.
It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage; add garam
masala and coconut powder and turn off flame when
about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, chicken
pieces should look roasted.
- Meanwhile, while the chicken
is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly
rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less
than the volume of the rice itself so that its only
half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount
of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand
and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2
teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains
of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
- You will need a utensil
of about 12" (300 mm) base. Place about half of semi-cooked
rice in it. Next, layer half of chicken on it again
topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining).
One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with
layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-chicken
layering stage.
- Heat oil and deep fry
half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly
fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along
with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains
and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight
(but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame
for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame
should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side
of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat
other next part on its circumference. This way, keep
rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min.
Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents
by a shake/jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at
the bottom.
- Put off the flame and
wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving,
mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled
egg halves. Enjoy. Rightly and carefully made, its
an epicure's paradise.
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