National Dishes of the World

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Biryani
Photo: Mahi Tatavarty, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

main dish

Biryani

बिरयानी (biryani)

Fragrant basmati rice layered with marinated meat, fried onions and saffron, then slowly steamed under a sealed lid.

Eaten in: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan

Prep
30 min
Cooking
1 h
Resting
1 h
Total
2 h 30 min
Servings
4

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About the dish

Biryani is a festive rice dish that appears at weddings, Eid celebrations and family gatherings across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Long-grain basmati rice, par-cooked with whole spices, is layered over meat marinated in yoghurt and masala, scattered with fried onions, mint and saffron, and then steamed in a tightly sealed pot by the dum method. Every region has its own style: in Hyderabad raw meat is cooked together with the rice, Lucknow’s biryani is delicate and perfumed, and Kolkata adds potatoes and eggs. It is served with yoghurt raita and a simple onion salad.

Main ingredients

  • basmati rice
  • chicken or mutton
  • yoghurt
  • fried onions
  • saffron
  • garam masala
  • mint
  • ghee

Bangladesh: In Bangladesh: বিরিয়ানি; Dhaka is famous for kacchi biryani, raw marinated goat or mutton cooked together with the rice.

Pakistan: In Pakistan: بریانی; especially popular is the spicy Sindhi biryani with potatoes and dried plums.

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Biryani

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/biryani

Ingredients

4 servings

4 servings

Method

  1. Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear, then soak it for 30 minutes.

  2. Mix the chicken with the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli, turmeric, garam masala, lemon juice and salt; leave for at least an hour.

  3. Fry the onions in 4 tbsp ghee until deep golden, about 15 minutes; set half aside for the topping and leave the rest in the pot.

  4. Add the chicken with its marinade and half the herbs to the pot and cook covered for 15–20 minutes until the meat is almost tender and the sauce thick.

  5. Meanwhile bring plenty of salted water to the boil with the whole spices, add the drained rice and cook for 5–6 minutes until about 70% done, then drain.

  6. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken, scatter with the remaining onions and herbs, and drizzle with the saffron milk and the rest of the ghee.

  7. Seal the pot tightly with foil and a lid and cook over the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes; rest for 5 minutes, then serve, digging the spoon right down to the bottom.

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