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India is known for its rich culinary traditions, but one of the most iconic foods the nation has produced is the biryani. Call it a celebration or a comfort dish, biryani is loved by all. In fact, there is a different version of biryani that exists in every major region of India.
It is said that the Mughals were the first ones to introduce this dish in the Northern part of the country, and the Arabs were the first ones to introduce this culinary delight in South India. Later, biryani spread to other parts of the country such as Lucknow, old Delhi and Hyderabad, after which it was gradually embraced and loved by all.
When we think about the popularity of biryani, one usually comes to the conclusion that it’s because there’s an amalgamation of spices, rice, meat and vegetables in just a single dish - this, with the aromatic smell, is always on top of our minds. But, what makes the biryani super special is that it can be made with a variety of different ingredients making it suitable for a wide range of tastes and preferences.
We’ve delved in this deep, so let’s also look at the types of rice that go into making this delicious dish, as there are so many varieties that are picked up for this. Let’s quickly take a look at what they are:
1. Basmati rice: This is a long-grained rice that is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas. It has a delicate, fragrant aroma and a light, fluffy texture when cooked.
2. Sona Masoori rice: This is a medium-grain rice that is grown in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India. It has a slightly sweet flavour and a softer texture than basmati rice.
3. Jeera rice: This type of rice is flavoured with cumin seeds (jeera) and is often used in Indian biryani. It has a distinct, aromatic flavour and a slightly chewy texture.
4. Sela rice: This is a type of basmati rice that has been aged for a longer period of time. It has a firmer texture and a slightly nutty flavour.
5. Gobindo Bhog rice: This is a type of fragrant, short-grain rice that is grown in the state of West Bengal in India. It has a delicate, floral aroma and a soft, creamy texture when cooked.
There are various styles of cooking the iconic biryani. In case you are looking to recreate some amazing biryani recipes at home, here is a list on how to go about it. You’re going to be hungry by the time to finish this list, so get started with the prep already!
Best biryani recipes you must try at home
1. Hyderabadi biryani
One of the most popular biryani recipes, the Hyderabadi biryani dish is a national favourite. It is said to have originated from the Nizami kitchen. Hyderabadi Biryani is half-boiled rice layered with cooked meat, fried onions, and mint, and is cooked dum-style.
The capital city of Telangana boasts of the best Hyderabad Biryanis, and if you happen to be there the next time, you must visit these places to enjoy this culinary delight.
Chef’s recommendation: Make a salan to go along with the biryani as an accompaniment. You can make it as mild or spicy depending on your taste.
2. Thalassery biryani
Popularly known as the Malabar biryani as it originates from the Malabar region of Kerala, the Thalassery biryani uses an unusual rice variety called jeerakasala or khyma. For the uninitiated, it’s a small-grained and thin variety of locally grown fragrant rice.
The highlight of the Thalassery biriyani is in the masala that is used during preparation. The onions are slow-cooked along with green chillies, garlic and ginger. Tomatoes are then added to the above mix and cooked until it disappears into this mix. Now is the time for coriander and mint leaves, and then chicken pieces (marinated). This is then slow-cooked until the chicken becomes soft. Then fresh garam masala is added before cooking. For the rice, fry whole spices along with the rice in ghee and oil, and cooked in boiling water. The rice is then topped with fried cashew nuts, onions, sultanas and “dum” cooked. This biryani has a unique combination of being sweet and salty.
If you are planning to cook this anytime soon, check out this detailed recipe.
3. Awadhi mutton biryani
This biryani is also popularly known as the Lucknowi biryani. The Awadhi Mutton Biryani is said to have originated in India during the era of the Mughal dynasty.
This biryani is unique because of its cooking style. The marinated chicken is cooked and flavoured with roasted spices (garam masala), saffron, cinnamon and star anise. This chicken is then layered with the rice in a handi and cooked together, thus giving a mild, yet flavourful taste.
Chef Recommendation: Add kewra jal or gulab jal to this biryani for an aromatic essence.
Looking to make this easy biryani recipe anytime soon? Find the detailed recipe here.
4. Chicken biryani
Cooking biryani is not a task, especially if you are trying your hands on the Chicken Reshmi Biryani. It is one of the easiest biryani recipes to try. It is just basmati rice cooked with aromatic spices. The recipe is extremely simple and makes for the perfect signature food dish for Eid celebrations.
This simple biryani pot dish of chicken and rice is flavoured with a burst of chillies mingling with the aroma of varied spices. If you are looking to try this biryani recipe, check out the detailed recipe here.
5. Kathal ki biryani
Vegetarian lovers in the house, this easy biryani recipe is for you. Kathal means jackfruit in English language. Raw and unripe jackfruit, when cooked, has a meaty texture and so, this biryani is very popular as a hearty delicacy in India. A lot of people have started to use kathal as a healthy alternative to meat, especially in biryanis.
This biryani recipe or jackfruit biryani recipe is one of the best vegetarian biryani recipes. It is a mildly spiced biryani dum-cooked. It comprises raw, unripe jackfruit, basmati rice, lots of spices and herbs and paired with yogurt. Kathal Ki Biryani is a gluten-free biryani recipe and makes for the perfect, comforting, and healthy and vegetarian biryani dish.
Looking to make this easy biryani recipe anytime soon? Find the detailed recipe here.
6. Cauliflower rice biryani
Cauliflower rice biryani is a one-pot recipe, South Indian style, and is dum-cooked. This vegetarian biryani is made with cauliflower, desiccated coconut, herbs and spices. It is a vegan recipe that is not just healthy but is super tasty too.
This biryani is receiving a lot of popularity due to its presence of spices has a lot of spices that blend in beautifully, giving it good flavour and taste.
In case you are looking to try this easy biryani recipe at home, you can make it more nutritious, healthy and flavourful by adding vegetables like potatoes, carrots, capsicum, green peas or anything else. Add these vegetables along with the cauliflower, to add to the bulk and the flavours!
This easy biryani recipe is dum-cooked, with everything cooked in one pot. However, it is not layered. This is one of the best and easy biryani recipes that you can try at home.
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