Hyderabad Biryani

Hyderabadi biryani, also known as Hyderabadi dum biryani, is a style of biryani from Hyderabad, India made with basmati rice and goat meat and cooked with the dum pukht method. Originating in the kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad, it combines elements of Hyderabad and Mughlai cuisines. Hyderabad biryani is a key dish in Hyderabadi cuisine.

The exact origin of the dish is uncertain. Despite legends attributing it to the Nizam's chef, the biryani is of South Indian origin, derived from pilaf varieties brought to South Asia by Arab traders. Pulao may have been an army dish in medieval India. Armies would prepare a one-pot dish of rice with whichever meat was available. The distinction between "pulao" and "biryani" is arbitrary.[9][10] Until later found Biryani was originated in Persia; the word comes from Persian language “birian” which means “fried before cooking.”[11] Mughals introduced biryani to Indian people during the reign of Mughal empire.[11] India has various cultures and cooking styles; Mughlai cooking has influenced the Indian style of cooking.

Ingredients

Chicken

– Traditionally bone-in skinless whole chicken cut into pieces is used to make chicken biryani. But you can choose to use only legs, legs with thighs, or even boneless chicken pieces.

First marination

– The chicken is marinated twice so that it absorbs all the flavors and becomes tender. In the first marination, we will use ingredients including shahi jeera (caraway seeds), ghee, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, vegetable oil, green chili paste, and lime juice.

Second Marination

– For the second marination, we will need yogurt, mint, coriander, and golden fried onion. You can either fry the onion at home or use store-bought to save time. Check out my recipe to make fried onion for biryani here.

Rice

– Use aged (at least 2 years old) long grain basmati rice for the best results. They turn out separate, fluffy, and aromatic, which tastes yummy in this Hyderabadi biryani. I always buy Fortune Biryani Basmati Rice and the result is quite good.

For the potli masala

– A bouquet garni (potli) of spices is added while cooking the rice to flavor it. Once the rice is cooked and the aroma and taste of the spices are infused into it, the bouquet garni is removed.

In the potli, we will add whole black cardamom, whole green cardamom, whole javitri, whole cloves, cumin seeds, whole black peppercorn, whole star anise, whole cinnamon, and whole bay leaf.

Other than the above-mentioned ingredients, we will need cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, kewra essence (vetiver essence), lime juice, milk, saffron soaked in water, and salt to make this chicken biryani.

Step by Steps

Step 1

Start by marinating the chicken. To make the marinade, mix 1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera), 2 tsp ghee, 4 tsp ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 tsp green chili paste, and 2 tbsp lime juice in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

Wash 1 pound (500 g) chicken and drain all the water. Add it to the bowl and mix well to coat it with the marinade.

Step 3

Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate it for 10-12 hours. This is the first marination.

Step 4

After 10-12 hours, take out the bowl from the refrigerator and marinate it for the second time. Add 200 g thick yogurt, 2 tbsp chopped mint, 2 tbsp chopped coriander, and ¼ cup golden fried onion to the bowl. Mix everything well again. Refrigerate the chicken for another hour.

Step 5

Take an 8-inch square cotton cloth piece and add 1 tsp caraway seeds, 2 whole black cardamoms, 2-3 whole green cardamoms, 2 flowers of javitri, 3-4 whole cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 5-6 whole black peppercorn, 1 whole star anise, 2-inch stick of whole cinnamon, and 2 whole bay leaves in the center. Bring the ends of the cloth together and tie a knot to make a potli (bouquet garni).

Step 6

Wash 3 cups of long grain basmati rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Soak it in 5-6 cups of water for 30 minutes. Heat 6-8 cups of water in a large pot. Add the potli that we made earlier, 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbsp green chili paste, 2-3 drops of kewra essence, ½ tsp lime juice, and 4 tsp salt to the pot and bring the water to a boil.

Step 7

Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water. Simmer the heat to medium and let the rice cook until it is 80% cooked. 80% cooked means that it still has a bite to it. Be very vigilant while cooking the rice. You don’t want to overcook it, otherwise, the biryani will become mushy. If the rice is undercooked, it will taste raw. Transfer the chicken along with the marinade to a large heavy bottom pan with a tight fitting lid. I used my 8 quart dutch oven to cook the biryani.

Step 8

Once the rice gets 80% cooked, discard the potli. Take the rice out using a sieve and spread it over the chicken evenly.

Step 9

Sprinkle ½ cup milk, 10-12 strands saffron soaked in water, ½ cup golden brown onion, and 3 tbsp ghee on top.

Step 10

Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Place the pan on high heat and cook for 5-6 minutes. Simmer the heat to very low and cook the biryani for 35-40 minutes. You can keep a griddle below the pan if the heat in your stove cannot be set to very low. The idea is to slow cook or Dum the biryani.

Once the biryani is cooked for 35-40 minutes, remove the lid and mix the biryani gently using a large spoon to mix the chicken pieces and the masala with the rice. Serve hot with raita or salan.

Tips

1) Hyderabadi biryani can be served with any raita of your choice like Onion Tomato Raita, Boondi Raita, or Pineapple Raita.

2) You can serve Mirchi Ka Salan or Ande Ka Salan with it too.

3) Don’t forget to top the chicken biryani with some browned onion before serving.