“Biryani” can we call it a stable word in India, also a word that represents us to the world cuisine? The interesting fact is that, it started as a balanced diet for soldiers in Persia and later the royal kitchens adapted it making it a delicacy. Though Mughals who ruled the north part of India have adapted it first, surprisingly the Nizams who ruled the south part of India had a better version to show up to the world. Foreigners usually mention that, once you have a gulp of biryani in India you can never accept any other taste of it else where in the world. But I am extremely confident and proud to tell that once you have biryani in Hyderabad, you cannot accept any other biryani in India itself. Every Hyderabadi holds pride to be cited as “we belong to the ‘Best Biryani’ place in India”.

Lets go and make some toady!!

Recipe - Hyderabadi Dum Biryani (You can smell it already right!)

Ingredients - Chicken / Mutton (Biryani cut - 1 Kg), Onion (Thinly sliced - 2 whole), Tomato (Puree - half),  Rice (Basmati & regular - 50/50), Loosely kneaded wheat dough (depends of size of container you choose to prepare biryani in), Cloves (4-5), Cardamom (4-5), Bay leaf (2-3), Pepper (5-10), Saffron (few strands), Powdered spices (salt, chilli-powder, coriander-powder, garam masala - according to your taste), Oil (2-3 table spoons), Curd (3-4 table spoons), Milk (2 table spoons).

Procedure 

•  Step -1 Marinate Chicken/Mutton in curd, salt and chilli-powder overnight.
• Step -2 Take half and half basmati and regular rice and wash it until starch leaves.
•  Step -3 Take a handi, add 1 table spoon of oil. After the oil is heated fry in 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 2 bay leaves. After they release their oils, add the rice and fry it for 2 mins. Later pour your regular measurement of water, add salt and leave the rice to cook up to ¾th.
• Step -4 Take a sauce pan, add a table spoon of oil, once the oil is heated add  3 cloves, 3 cardamom, 10 whole pepper and fry them well until the spices leave their oils. Next, add half quantity of the onion and tomato puree. Once the raw smell is gone, add powdered spices according to your taste, fry well. Lastly add the marinated Chicken/Mutton and leave it to cook completely. Once the meat is cooked up to perfection add garam masala and keep it aside.

Garnish - Fry the remaining onion until golden brown and caramelized. Snap some coriander and mint too. Mix some strands of saffron in table spoon of milk.

Arrangement - Once your rice is cooked up to ¾th, drain the excess water and transfer the rice to another bowl. Now start layering the handi, One layer of prepared chicken/mutton => caramelized onions => Rice => Saffron milk, do it for multiple times.  Now take the loosely mixed dough and place it in the edged of handi and seal the handi air tight. Leave it on low flame for 10 minutes. Open the seal and garnish with herbs

Now its ready to serve!!