Q&A : Advice for authentic Biryani
Question : I need advice for making authentic Mughlai Biryani. Any tips? The restaurant Biryani I’ve had is generally fair to lousy. What’s the trick or tricks to making this dish? Kuntal answers : Mughlai food is known for its richness. It is famous for the exotic use of spices, dried fruit and nuts. The Mughals did everything in style and splendour. Since they ate very rich food they reduced the number of intake during the day. Mughlai dishes as they are called have lots of milk and cream with spices to make rich and spicy meal that is the reason why Mughlai recipes are rich in fat, carbohydrates and proteins. Even though the tips are helpful, they are not quick fix process to substitute the lengthy cooking preparation for biryanis which yields the desired result. Make sure the rice which you use is the premium quality biryani rice which is less starchy than the rest of the rice. Wash your rice a few times and allow it to sit in just enough water for 15-20minutes. Drain the water before final use. Use the papaya to soften/tenderize the Indian mutton to avoid the risk of them being not cooked fully with the rice if you are making “katchi” biryani (a biryani where the main ingredients like the rice and the lamb are both raw and cooked together unlike other biryanis where mutton will be cooked separately and then layered with rice). The flavoring herbs and spices should preferably be used in the later stages, because prolonged use of them in the entire cooking process is just a wastage of their flavour and aroma. The biryani in the last stage after layering should be cooked on a very low heat preferably on a hot plate to allow the steam to form and aroma to develop. If you have pre-boiled the lamb for the biryani, try reserving the liquid/ stock to be used for biryani for extra flavour. The lid for the biryani vessel has to fit snugly otherwise put some weight on top of the lid or stick together the side of the lid and the vessel with flour dough to prevent the steam from escaping. Most of the restaurant biryanis due to the compulsion of managing cost are made to order; hence lack the complex flavour and aroma of an authentically made biryani. To see more of biryani, please refer to downloadable e-book available with us. Tags: curries, tandoor, gosht, dhokla, bhatura, dal, bhatura, indian food, tikka masala, roti
