The biryani – baked rice layered with meat – first originated in the Moghul cuisine of the 16th-19th centuries. It was a festive dish, costly to prepare and eaten mainly in the royal courts. Traditionally, the biryani pots were sealed with dough before baking, then cracked open at the table – this technique, called dum, is still used by top Indian restaurants today.
Spices – whole and ground – are what gives biryani its fantastic aroma. Make sure they’re fresh – spices that are stored too long lose their pungency.
Other essentials
Onions are a major flavour component, browned well to form part of the dish or fried until crisp for a garnish (see below)
Basmati rice forms the bulk of a biryani, and is the key to its flavour. The best comes from the foothills of the Himalayas.
Natural yogurt is used for tenderising raw meat before baking, and to add tartness – lemon juice can be stirred through before serving instead. Yogurt raitas are often eaten with biryani.
Cooking tips
Rinse your rice well, then soak in cold water for 30 minutes before using – this ensures the rice will be really tender.
If you have a spice grinder, a pestle and mortar or a coffee grinder, grind up whole spices rather than buying ready-ground, for optimum aroma and flavour.
Microwaving the onions is really effective. It’s no quicker than the hob method but it stops your kitchen smelling of fried onions. Put 1 large onion, sliced, in a medium bowl. Top with 25g ghee, cover with cling film and pierce once. Microwave on full power in a 900W oven for 15-16 minutes, shaking the bowl towards the end, until the onions are crisp and golden – watch they don’t burn! Drain on kitchen paper and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Marinate the meat in yogurt to make it tender and to add tartness.
Hot milk, infused with saffron, helps to streak the biryani with bands of rich yellow, orange and gold.
Ghee is clarified butter, which means that the milk solids have been removed.