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 Iran)

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.