Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani is one of the most popular biryani dishes which has its origin in the Nizam’s Stae of Hyderabad in India. When I first tasted this dish about 4-5 years ago, it was just enchanting. I tasted the best Hyderabadi Biryani prepared by the world’s best Hyderabadi Biryani chef.                                                             It just melted away in my mouth what with the fresh aroma of the spices and the ghee. It couldny get better that that. Right now, I am preparing this famous biryani in my kitchen and am writing the blog while the biryani is being cooked. God!! I am just not able to resist the mystic smell of the spices touching my nose!! I want to gorge onto it as soon as its brought down from the stove!!
Meanwhile, let me give you a little more information on this dish and after that, the ingredients and the preparation method.
There are basically two styles of preparing the Hyderabadi biryani… The kacchi Biryani is prepared with the Kacchi Akhni method (that is, with the raw meat) and it is usually accompanied with Raita (a yogurt dish) and in the Pakki biryani, the meat and the rice is cooked in a dough sealed vessel.

Now, lets start with the dish… Make a quick note of the ingredients and the preparation method…

Hyderabadi Biryani Ingredients:

• Chicken : 1 whole
• Basmati rice : 1 kg
• Onions : 1 cup (thinly sliced)
• Coconut milk : 1 cup
• Ginger and garlic paste : 2 tea spoon
• Chilli powder : 3 tea spoon
• Turmeric : 1/2 tea spoon
• Cashew nuts : 100 g
• Bay leaves : 4 to 5
• Cloves : 5 to 6
• Cinnamon sticks : 1 inch long
• Cardamom pods : 3 to 4
• Mint leaves : 5-6 strands
• Coriander leaves : 4-5 strands
• Garam masala powder : 1/2 tea spoon
• Lemon : 1
• Ghee (clarified butter) : 1 cup
• Oil : 4 table spoons
• Yogurt : 1/2 cup
• Saffron : 6-8 strands
• Salt to taste

Preparation Method :

1. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt and 1 table spoon of lemon juice.
2. Next, make deep incisions on the chicken pieces such that the spices are absorbed well.
3. Apply the above prepared paste onto the chicken pieces and let it marinate for an hour.
4. Heat 4 table spoons of oil in a vessel. Roast cloves, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/2 spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder,bay leaves and 1/2 cup onions.
5. Roast it for 1-2 minutes and then add some mint leaves.
6. When the onions turn golden brown, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for about 30-35 minutes.
7. Note that the chicken should not be fully cooked at this stage.
8. Now add garam masala powder and coconut and turn off the flame once the chicken is about 3/4th cooked.
9. See to it that the gravy should not be much and also, the chicken pieces should look as if they have been roasted.
10. Meanwhile, when the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice.
11. Wash 3 cups of basmati rice and add water slightly less than the quantity of the rice itself so that it is only half cooked.
12. Add 1-2 tea spoons of salt to it.
13. Soak 3-4 strands of saffron in 4-5 table spoons of milk.
14. Now take 1/2 table spoon of this half cooked rice and dip it into the saffro flavoured milk.
15. Take a utencil having a base of 12″ and place half of the semi-cooked rice in it.
16. Prepare a layer of half of the above prepared chicken on top of this rice layer and again, top the chicken layer with rice (half of the remaining).
17. Again, another layer of remaining chicken and finally with the layer of the remaining rice on the top, ends the rice-chicken layering process.
18. Heat 2-3 table spoons of oil and deep fry 1/2 cup onions until they turn golden brown. Next, roast the cashews.
19. Garnish the top layer of rice with the fried onions, cashews, coconut milk, ghee, coriander and the saffron flavoured rice.
20. Cover the vessel with a lid and place it on a high flame for about 5 minutes. Note that the flame should not concentrate at the vessel’s center, but on one side of it.
21. Wait for 2-3 minutes and rotate the vessel to heat the opposite side. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 minutes for about 20-25 minutes. Every time you rotate it, carefully disturb the contents by a small jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at the bottom.
22. Turn off the flame and keep it aside for 10 minutes before taking off the lid.
23. Before serving, mix thoroughly, the medley from the bottom.
24. Serve with boiled egg halves to enjoy the dish fully.