6 Much Loved Biryanis

A Biryani is also known as biriyani or biriani.  The best biriyani cooks are Muslims of the Indian subcontinent and why not the different varieties of Biryani were developed in the Muslim centres of India.

When I was researching for paella and Biryani the theme at   Wikipedia (I start there and end there.) I have discovered many more varieties that will find their way to the table hopefully soon….

Biryanis

Here is what I gathered…

Biryani alternate names are Biriyani, biriani, buriyani, breyani,briani. 

Biryani the much loved Indian dish has its origins shrouded in mystery.

Biryani’s origins are generally attributed to Mughals and Muslim traders. But there is one theory that says that there are references to a “fried rice ´aromatic with spices in the ancient texts such as Yagnavalkya Smriti and was enjoyed by the ruling class. Traditional Bengali cuisine also steams fish in the method that is now known as “dum “in an earthen pot.

So what is the Difference between Biryani and Pulao?

According to Wikipedia,”Pulao is another mixed rice dish popular in Indian cuisine. Although some of its varieties are associated with Persian influence in north India, it is also mentioned in ancient Indian texts such as Yagnavalkya Smriti. Opinions differ on the differences between pulao and Biryani, and whether there is a difference between the two at all.

According to the British-era author Abdul Halim Sharar, the Biryani has a stronger taste of curried rice due to a higher amount of spices. Pratibha Karan states that while the terms are often applied arbitrarily, the main distinction is that a Biryani comprises two layers of rice with a layer of meat (or vegetables) in the middle; the pulao is not layered.

There are two kinds of Biryani: Kacchi or raw Biryani and Pakki or cooked Biryani!

Wait I do not expect you to eat the Biryani raw it’s just that in the kacchi  Biryani raw marinated meat is layered with raw rice before being cooked together. The pot is usually sealed (typically with wheat dough) to allow cooking in its own steam and not opened till ready to serve.

In pakki Biryani the cooked meat and cooked rice are layered.

It served as the main course and is popular in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Kenya , Singapore and Sri Lanka.

The main ingredients are rice, Indian spices, base (vegetables, meat or egg), yoghurt, other optional ingredients (e.g. dried fruits), potatoes. A non-vegetarian Biryani may be made with chicken, mutton and seafood among types of meat.   A vegetarian Biriyani the main ingredients are vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, peas etc .Ovo vegetarians will love egg Biryani.

However, according to Sanjeev Kapoor, the Chef,” Though it is more common to link up any biryani with meat or chicken, it is a great revelation that Indian veg recipes or Indian biryani veg recipes are not uncommon at all.

Let us see why and how. Vegetables add their beautiful flavour to aromatic rice and with a variety of spices and sometimes with a drizzle of fragrant ghee, a lovely dish is turned out. There are many variations and we will very quickly go through a simple one here.”

Here are some of the Biryani that I have made in the past.

1. Masoor Biryani delicious use of the whole lentil in a biryani.

Masoor Biryani| Whole Red Lentil Biryani

2.  Baked Kabuli Chana Biryani another way to cook chickpeas.

Baked Kabuli Chana Biryani

3. Ever used methi mutter to make biryani? Enjoy this unusual biryani.

Methi Matar Biriyani

4.The jewel of biryanis Hyderabadi Dum Biryani ...

Hyderabadi Dum Biryani ~Indian State Andhra Pradesh

5. Ovo-vegetarian? Try this Kerala Malabar style Egg Biryani

Kerala Malabar Style |Mutta Biryani| Egg Biryani

6. How can I forget the one biryani that made me realise that you can make biryani with short grain rice and you do not need coriander leaves to make a biryani. My Myth Buster Dum Mushroom Biryani!

Myth Buster Dum Mushroom Biryani/Dum Almi Biryani

Try making Biryani Masala at home. It's simple yet very aromatic and takes your work to the next level.

There is one more biryani coming up soon. Stay tuned.

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