TRADITIONAL INDIA - FOOD : HYDERABADI BIRYANI by Snehal Chowdhury

                                                      HYDERABADI BIRYANI

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

HYDERABADI BIRYANI 

Picture credit  : Wikipedia

HISTORY

Hyderabad was conquered by the Mughals in the 1630s and ruled by its Nizams. Mughlai culinary traditions joined with local traditions to create Hyderabadi cuisine. Local folklore attributes the creation of Hyderabadi biryani to the chef of the first nizam, Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah 1 in the mid 18th century, during a hunting expedition. In 1857 when the Mughal empire declined in Delhi, Hyderabad emerged as the center of South Asian culture resulting into mix of innovations in Hyderabadi biryani.

 

BIRYANI 

Picture credit : Google

                                                                          

ORIGIN 

The exact origin of the dish is uncertain, despite legends attributing it to the nizam 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. 

INGREDIENTS 

Base ingredients are basmati rice, goat meat or sometime chicken or beef, dahi, fried onion and ghee. Spices include cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, nutmeg, papaya paste, caraway, mace flower, star anise, lemon and saffron, Coriander leaves for garnish. 

TYPES 

Hyderabadi biryani is of two types: the Kachchi (raw) biryani and the Pakki (cooked) biryani. The Kachchi biryani is prepared with Kachchi gosht (raw meat) marinated with spices overnight and then soaked in curd (dahi) before cooking. The meat is sandwiched between layers of fragnant basmati rice and then cooked in dum after sealing the Handi with dough. This is challenging process as it requires meticulous attention and temperature to avoid over-or under cooking the meat . 

ACCOMPANIMENTS 

A biryani is usually served with dahi chutney and mirchi ka salan. The salad includes onion, carrot, cucumber and lemon wedges. 

BIRYANI

Picture credit : Google