Talk about biryanis, and you’ll encounter way too many FAQs. Do you cook the rice and meat separately, or together? Do you use the oven or do you prefer to place your pot on top of a hot iron tawa on the stove? Do you use boned meat, or does boneless come out better? How do you prevent your biryani sticking to the bottom of the pan – do you cook on low heat, or do you layer the bottom with sliced potatoes?
The correct answer to each of these of course, is to try them out both ways, and find out for yourself!
While you’re at it, why not taste the different regions of India this Republic Day, and try different variations of the biryani? It’ll be a pleasure if you do it with Fortune Rice.
LUCKNOWI GOAT BIRYANI
1 kg goat pieces, large (retain bones and some fat)
750 g (roughly 4 cups) Fortune Biryani Rice, rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
½ cup oil
2 sticks cinnamon
4-5 cloves
1 medium-sized onion, sliced
4 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Red chilli powder to taste
50 g yoghurt
A few strands saffron
1 tbsp kewra water
Salt to taste
250 ml milk
4 tbsp cream
3-4 pods green cardamom
1 tbsp ghee
¼ tsp sugar
1 tbsp rose water
For masala powder, grind together
7 pods green cardamom
2 tbsp white pepper pods
8-10 blades of mace
Heat oil in heavy-bottomed pan and add cinnamon and cloves. Stir till flavours are infused in the oil. Add onion and fry till golden brown. Introduce meat and saute on high flame, stirring constantly. Add ginger-garlic paste and continue to stir. When nicely browned, add red chilli powder, salt and yoghurt. Mix well and let cook for 3-4 more minutes. Then add 500 ml water and the kewra water, stir and then cover and cook until meat is beginning to separate from the bones. Turn off heat and cool completely.
The oil will by now have risen to the top, and will be infused with the colour of the spices. Use a deep spoon to siphon off all the excess oil – this will be come to use a bit later.
Add milk, cream, saffron and the ground masala. Mix well and cover tightly to incorporate.
To cook rice, heat water in another pan and add a stick of cinnamon, the cardamom pods and salt to taste. When hot put in the soaked rice. Cook till 75% done, and then sieve through a colander.
Meanwhile, bring out the siphoned-off cooking oil and add to it ghee, sugar and rose water. Mix well.
Assemble biryani in a heavy bottomed pan. Put in a layer of rice at the bottom, and then spoon some of the meat and gravy over. Spoon some of the flavoured oil over.
Repeat with another layer of rice, meat and gravy, and flavoured oil.
Finish off with a final layer of rice and pour the rest of the flavoured oil all over.
Cover tightly with teatowel or alfoil and cook on high for five minutes. Then cook on low heat on top of a hot iron tawa for 20-25 minutes.
(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)
READ ALSO: Biryani bouquet
BOMBAY VEGETABLE BIRYANI
For the rice
250 gms (roughly 2 cups) Fortune Biryani Rice rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp shahi jeera
4-5 black pepper pods
1-inch piece cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamom
1 large fresh bay leaf
Salt to taste
For the vegetables
½ cup green peas
½ cup carrots, cut into long pieces
½ cup green beans, cut into long pieces
2 medium sized potatoes, cut into four pieces each
4-5 dried plums or prunes
3 large tomatoes
Whole spices
4 pods black cardamoms
3-cm piece cinnamon
8 whole cloves
8 whole peppercorns
1 tsp shahi jeera
3 fresh bay leaves
For the masala
3 tbsp ghee or oil
4 medium onions, sliced
Green chillies to taste
3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
Red chilli powder to taste
1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying onions.
Plus
½ cup yogurt, whisked
A few strands saffron, soaked in a tbsp of warm milk
For garnish
Tomato slices and coriander strips
2 onions, fried crisp
Chopped mint and coriander leaves
Lime or lemon wedges
To cook rice, heat oil and add in the whole spices. When they begin to crackle add in the drained rice and saute briefly. Then add double the quantity of water and salt, and cook until 75% done. Sieve through a colander.
Heat oil and deep fry onions until well browned. Remove from oil and cool, then grind to a paste.
To cook the veggies, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and throw in the whole spices and green chillies. Allow oil to infuse flavours until spices crackle, then introduce the onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and saute. Stir in tomatoes. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander-cumin powder and salt. Saute till it all comes together.
When well-combined, add the vegetables and prunes cook till vegetables are just about al dente. Add a tiny amount of cooking water if necessary. Cool, and stir in yogurt to keep it all moist. Keep covered till needed.
Assemble biryani in a large baking dish.
Arrange alternate layers of rice and prepared vegetables. Pour over the milk infused with saffron. Cover tightly with alfoil and bake in a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes.
Serve decorated with garnish.
HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI
1 kg chicken, cut into medium pieces
1 kg (roughly 5 cups) Fortune Biryani Rice rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups yoghurt
2 onions, sliced
1 cup oil (add a little ghee if you prefer)
5 tbsp oil extra
Salt to taste
Grind to paste
Green chillies to taste
7-cm piece ginger
4-5 garlic pods
2 onions, sliced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
Whole spices
2 tsp shahi jeera
5 black cardamoms
6-7 cloves
1 large stick cinnamon
3 large fresh bay leaves
Green masala (Chopped fine)
5-6 green chillies
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
Rub chicken with salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Then add the ground paste and yogurt, mix and set aside for 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and throw in whole spices. Add water in 1:2 consistency, salt and turmeric and bring to a boil. Introduce the rice, cover and cook until half done. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat 4 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry sliced onions. Remove with slotted spoon and keep aside. In the same oil, put in the marinated chicken. Layer single file if possible. Spread half the rice on top. Then add the fried onions, the green masala and lime juice. Layer the rest of the rice on top. Now pour in the cup of oil and ghee if using.
Cover with teatowel and tighten with lid. Place on a hot iron tawa and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)
Note: Oven times may vary
READ ALSO: Ever tried a jackfruit biryani?
