Around 46 years back, I was born a Hyderabadi, a frog in a small pond. Who believed the world begins and ends at the Mohallah, where I lived. My first dawn of worldly boundaries were a lesson by itself, there was blaring news item on radio and news paper that, Skylab, a 75 metric ton US space Station was crumbling and coming down on earth, and may fall anywhere on earth. This news had put the bravest among men indoors, it was to have fallen anywhere between Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean .
The fear of Skylab hitting one’s own roof had converted the most sworn atheist into a believer.Temples, Masjids and Churches had special prayers to ward of the evil object hitting the ordinary mortals. My imagination in those days, for any Sagar(ocean ) had to be smaller than Husain Sagar, a lake separating Hyderabad & Secundrabad, until, I saw Nagarjuna Sagar. It was difficult to place Pacific & Indian Ocean , my point of reference for visualization or imagination was nothing bigger than Nagarjuna Sagar.
Hyderabadi’s believed, that the Skylab will fall only on Husain Sagar, contrary to the news being flashed on news papers, radio and Dordarshan, of possible sites as Pacific Or Indian Ocean. In those days, the Dordarshan TV station was just comissioned few months back, and would come alive for 03 hours in the evening. People would glue to the B&W TV sets eager to know the imminent fall and the end of the civilisation. Finally, when the object descended, it had a very silent fall some where on the Western Australia Hyderabad
My realization of the world beyond Hyderabad Bombay Arabian sea from the Gateway of India. My imagination went wild, I could never believe Arabian Sea could be bigger than Nagarjuna Sagar. I could not talk about my predicament with anyone in my group, as most of the Hyderabadi’s like me, were shell shocked to have found Mumbai much bigger than our own Hyderabad
The frog, mean while joined one of the three armed forces, the worldly view began to change in the right earnest, I found all my theories of the world centering around Hyderabad, were absurd and embarrassingly far away from truth. It was a rude shock to realize that Indian cricket team can do without Hyderabadi’s, I grew up believing at least 05 players from Hyderabad India,
When I grew senior enough in service, I would guide the mess cook to cook as per my recipe, however, each time I left the place for attending other issues, they would make some silly stuff and pass off as Biryani, thereby, making sure my BP shoots up after eating the disaster called Biryani. Finally after 23 years of search for authentic Biryani, I am back in Hyderabad Bangalore Hyderabad
The Hyderabadi Biryani is made out of proportions not found in the cuisine magazines, as each Chef, usually a Muslim cook has his own procedure and recipe.
Hyderabadi Biryani
Ingredients
Meat - 2 KG ( Freshly cut lamb or goat less than 2years old, only the leg portion, preferably the rear legs is to be selected. The meat is to be cut into 1 ½ to 2 inches long, the flesh has to be cut in a manner, by which, maximum amount of fiber is exposed for absorption of the marinate)
Note
: No meat which is stored in cold storage or cut several hours before can be selected, if one still does select, he or she will have smelling uncooked meat in the Biryani.
Basmati Rice – 1 kg
Onion – 6-8 Big
Lime Juice - 1/4 Cup
Curd - 500 GM
Ginger Garlic Paste - 4-6 Tsp.
Red Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp.
Green Chilli - 4-6 grind into fine past
Shazeera – 8 to 10 grams or one tolla ( Shazeera is bit grey in colour as against ordinary zeera, and comes from
Clove – 6
Cinamon – 3-4 sticks
Cardamon Small – 6
Cardamon Big – 6
Bay leaves & flower - half a handful
Coriander Leaves - A bunch finely chopped, about ¼ th of a cup
Mint leaves - Plucked only leaves, about 3/4th of a cup
A small unripe Papaya
Safron – 2-4 grams, soaked in hot milk
Ghee – 500grams
Salt - To taste
Method
:
Ø Cut the meat into 1 ½ " to 2" square pieces and wash it .
Ø Add ginger garlic paste to the meat and Marinate it for 1 hour.
Ø While marinating you cut the onions thinly lengthwise and Fry the onions in the ghee on low flame till it becomes golden brown.
Ø Now remove the golden brown onions from the ghee and spread it on a plate.
Ø Now add the curd, 1/2 part of golden fried onions, Red chilli powder, Green chilli paste, ( grinded paste of 1stick of Cinamon, 2 Cardamon small, a pinch of Shazeera, 2 Clove), Coriander leaves, 3/4th of the Mint leaves, salt to taste into this marinated meat and leave for one hour.
Ø After one hour, take Basmati rice, wash and keep it separately, allow the water to be drained out. Take a deg, (a flat bottomed Copper vessel) place it on a fire (preferably charcoal or fire wood), add good portion of ghee, sprinkle Shazeera , few bay leaves and flower. As soon as the Shajeera is crisp, add about 3/4th litre of water, place a muslin cloth (with 4 cloves, 2 cinnamon stick , 2 cardamom big & small ) into the boiling water, allow it to boil for few minutes, bring it down from the fire, add the Basmathi rice and keep it for 10 minutes.
Ø Strain the half cooked rice; remove the muslin cloth containing condiments. Keep the strained water separately.
Ø Now spread this half cooked rice at the bottom of the deg in a layer followed by a layer of the marinated meat. repeat the process, upon the rice layer spread lime juice, saffron mixed in milk ,remaining part of the crushed onion and mint. Add remaining portion of the bay leaves, cardamom big & small along with 2 cups of strained water containing dissolved condiments,( which was preserved earlier from the process of half boiling Basmathi rice). Add the balance Ghee and the unripe papaya.
Ø Now cover the utensil with wheat dough and seal it completely. Keep it on a very low flame of charcoal or firewood. After, sufficient pressure builds up inside the deg, the dough seal gets ruptured, and it’s the time to reduce fire and cover the entire vessel, from all the sides by charcoal and ensure heat is spread out evenly for 05 minutes. .(Don’t attempt to cook on gas as you will never have control over the heating process, as heat is to be redistributed evenly after initial phase of low flame cooking). The Biryani is ready to serve.
Serve hot Biryani with curd Raita made out of chopped tomatos & onions. Biryani is to be served by a serving spoon to scoop out in layers, never ever mix Biryani, and always serve it in layers of rice and meat.
A Baingan ka salan or Mirchi ka salan is the side dish which goes well along with Hyderabadi Biryani. The sweet dish has to be Double ka Meetha (Shahi Tukda) or Kubani ka Meetha (Sweet made out of dry Apricots).
I presume my love for Hyderabadi Biryani is justified by the recipe I gave out, please cook at home and forward your comments.
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Hyderabadi Biryani
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