Biryani Fast Food! Biryani is a rice-based dish that is popular in South Asia and other parts of the world. The dish has been a part of Indian cuisine for over 500 years.
The rice dish is also known as biriyani, biriani, bhoriyaanee, pilau, Badshah pilaf, biryani rice or biryani. Biryani usually consists of meat or vegetables cooked with spices and then fried with saffron-infused water to create a rich flavour.
After this, rice is added and roasted before being mixed with a thick sauce called korma. The Mughals originally prepared the dish, who wanted to blend components from their native Central Asian cuisine and the Persian cuisine.
They would use saffron and spices to give the food a unique aroma and taste. The name ‘biryani’ is derived from the Persian word ‘birinj’, which means rice (Biri) and vegetable or meat (Yani).
What is biryani?
Traditional biryani is cooked in a handy, translated as ‘pot’ or ‘bowl’. The dish is usually served with dashi chutney or raita. It’s very popular in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the Middle East.
Biryani is also known to have influenced other cuisines around the world. One well-known derivative of this classic dish is pizza toppings that are made using biryani flavours. For example, cheese, tandoori chicken or tikka masala sauce are often used along with chicken tikkas.
The term ‘biryani’ refers to frying before cooking (by first sautéing funds, adding the main ingredient, and then simmering).
The ingredients for biryani vary depending on the region. However, rice is always the second component of this dish. For example, Indian biryani does not include meat because Hindus are forbidden to eat it. Babur wrote the first documented recipe for biryani during his stay in Hindustan.
Is A biryani fast food or not?
In short – with a few exceptions, biryani is not fast food. Biryani was originally a dish prepared in a specific manner and took a long time to prepare. The dish would be prepared in bulk and then placed into smaller containers or tea kettles for serving.
The original recipe for biryani is a slow-cooking dish, and it usually takes around an hour to prepare. However, modern biryani recipes can vary: some cook the rice with less spices and others, including vegetables and meat or fish.
This version of biryani is not a ‘fast food’ because most people would not even consider eating it on the go. Frying the meat and vegetables takes time, and the rice would take around 45 minutes to boil. Also, biryani is usually served with raita or chutney, both of which require preparation before serving.
The 10 Delicious Biryani Recipes:
1. Veg Biryani
Ingredients:
Ghee – 2 cups, rice (chopped) – 1 cup, yoghurt/curd- 3 tbsp, water as required for marination, turmeric, salt and garam masala to taste. Green chillies (chopped) – 4 to 5 nos. Ginger garlic paste – 2 tablespoons, chopped coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons, lemon juice – 1 teaspoon. Vegetables (carrots, beans and potatoes) – 3 cups each boiled and cubed. Oil – 2 tablespoons.
Method:
In a pressure cooker, add some oil, sauté the vegetables, then add rice. On this, add salt, turmeric, garam masala, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and curd mix all together. Add water put the pressure cooker on fire when it starts to whistle, put the flame off. Open after 10 minutes add coriander leaves mix properly. Serve hot with raita or dry sabs.
2. Chicken Biryani
Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 2 cups, whole chicken (cut into small pieces) – 500 gm, yogurt / curd – 1/2 cup , ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp , green chilies (chopped) -3 to 4 nos. chopped coriander leaves – 3 tbsp. , turmeric powder / halide- 1 tsp salt to taste, oil – 3 tbsp., curd – 4 to 5 nos. fried onions – 2 large , mint leaves / pudina powder- 1 tsp , lemon juice- 2 tsp , garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Method:
Marinate chicken with salt, turmeric and half of the ginger-garlic paste. Keep it aside for half an hour. Grind the remaining ginger garlic paste, green chilies, half of the coriander leaves with little water to make a fine paste. Mix this ground paste in yoghurt, add salt to taste. Wash rice thoroughly and drain it. Heat oil in a pan, add chicken pieces and then cook until light brown on all sides. Drain excess oil and mix half of the fried onions, mint leaves, garam masala and lemon juice.
3. Chicken Dum Biryani
Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 3 cups, whole chicken (cut into small pieces) – 500 gm. yoghurt/curd- 1/2 cup, green chilies – 5 no’s, ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp, mint leaves/pudina powder-1 tsp, lemon juice- 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves – 3 tbsp., turmeric powder- 1 tsp oil – 3 tbsp., garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp, salt to taste fried onions – 2 large
Method:
Clean and wash the chicken pieces properly. Marinate in a mixture of green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, mint leaves, yoghurt and curd mix well. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add chicken pieces and then cook until light brown on all sides. Drain excess oil and mix half of the fried onions, mint leaves, garam masala, lemon juice, pudina powder, turmeric powder with rice.
4. Methi Malai Gosht
Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 2 cups, mutton (lamb) with bones – 1/2 kg, ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp, green chillies – 3 to 4 nos. curd / yogurt- 2 tbsp, cumin seeds / jeera powder- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder-1/2 tsp turmeric powder / haldi- 1/2 tsp salt to taste chopped coriander leaves – 3 tbsp, dried fenugreek leaves / kasuri methi – 1 tsp, garam masala powder-1/4 tsp cream- 2 tbsp oil – 2 tbsp
Method:
Clean and wash the mutton pieces properly. Marinate in a mixture of ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, green chillies. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Grind the cumin seeds, jeera powder, Kasuri methi with little water to make a fine paste.
Add this ground paste to marinated mutton pieces mix well. Heat oil in a pan, put the marinated mutton pieces into it, and saute them until light brown. Then add a cup of water to it, cover and let the mutton gets cooked on low flame. Cook covered for 40 minutes.
5. Chicken Biryani – Hyderabadi Style
Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 2 cups, chicken (cut into small pieces) – 1/2 kg, yogurt / curd- 1/2 cups, green chillies – 3 nos. ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp turmeric powder / haldi- 1 tsp salt to taste melted ghee or oil – 3 tbsp fried onions – 2 large, cinnamon stick- 1 inch, cloves-4 nos, black peppercorns – 3 nos, cardamom – 4 nos., bay leaf- 1 no.
Method:
Mix cinnamon sticks, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom and bay leaf in yoghurt. Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, green chillies, little yoghurt mix well. Please keep it for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, put the marinated chicken pieces into it, and cook until light brown on all sides. Drain excess oil—heat ghee or oil in another pan. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom, and bay leaf.
Add the chopped onions and fry them until light brown. Add marinated chicken pieces into it and stir well on low flame for about 10 minutes. Now add the yoghurt mixture and cook covered on low flame for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, put a heavyweight on top and leave it as such until the chicken is completely cooked. Lastly, spread half of the fried onions, coriander leaves, garam masala.
6. Chicken Chettinad
Ingredients: Saffron – few strands, whole chicken (cut into small pieces)-1 kg, ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder / Haldi- 1/2 tsp salt to taste oil -3 tbsp fried onions – 2 large, cloves-4 nos, black peppercorns – 3 nos, cardamom – 4 nos. Cinnamon stick- 1 inch, bay leaf- 1 no.
Method:
Clean and wash the chicken pieces properly. Marinate in a mixture of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and keep it for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan adds the cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom to it. Add the marinated chicken pieces into it and stir well on low flame for about 10 minutes. Drain excess oil—heat ghee or oil in another pan.
Add cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom & bay leaf to it. Add the fried onions and stir well. Add this ground masala to the chicken pieces. Cook covered on low flame for 25 minutes, ensuring that spices do not stick at the vessel’s bottom or pan. Lastly, spread half of the fried onions, saffron strands mix evenly.
7. Amritsari Murgh Methi
Ingredients:
Whole chicken (cut into small pieces)- 1 kg, yoghurt/curd- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste -1 tsp green chillies – 7 to 8 nos., coriander powder-2 tsp, garam masala powder-1/4 tsp turmeric powder / Haldi- 1/4 tsp salt to taste fresh coriander leaves – 2 tbsp chopped fenugreek leaves / Kasuri methi – 1 tbsp oil- 3 tbsp
Method:
Marinate chicken pieces with green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and curd for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, put the marinated chicken pieces into it, and cook on medium flame until golden brown. Drain excess oil. Heat oil in another pan add cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom to it.
Add the chopped fenugreek leaves into it and stir well on low flame for about 5 minutes. Now add fried onion to this ground masala and cook for another 5 minutes. Put the fried chicken pieces into it and stir well on low flame for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add garam masala powder, coriander powder and salt mix evenly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.
8. Amritsari Murgh Kali Mirch
Ingredients:
Whole chicken (cut into small pieces)- 1 kg, yoghurt/curd- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste -1 tsp green chillies – 7 to 8 nos., coriander powder-2 tsp, garam masala powder-1/4 tsp turmeric powder / Haldi- 1/4 tsp salt to taste black pepper – 3 tbsp oil -3 tbsp
Method:
Marinate the chicken pieces with red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and curd for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, put the marinated chicken pieces into it, and cook on medium flame until light brown. Drain excess oil. Heat oil in another pan add cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom to it.
Add the black pepper into it and stir well on low flame for about 5 minutes. Now add fried onion to this ground masala and cook until light brown. Put the fried chicken pieces into it and stir well on low flame for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add garam masala powder, coriander powder and salt mix evenly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.
9. Butter Chicken
Ingredients:
Boneless cubes of chicken – 1 kg , tomato puree- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste -1 tsp turmeric powder / haldi- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder- 1 tsp Kashmiri mirch -2 tsp cream or malai -1 tbsp oil – 4 tbsp butter- 100 gms .
Method:
Marinate the chicken pieces with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook on low flame until light brown. Drain excess oil. Add butter into the same pan stir well until it melts.
Now add cream or malai mix evenly. Lastly, add tomato puree, stirring continuously. Cook covered on low flame for about 8 minutes, ensuring that spices do not stick at the bottom of the vessel or pan. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with kulcha or naan.
10. Shahi Murgh / Chicken Masala
Ingredients:
Boneless cubes of chicken – 1 kg , onion – 3 large , garlic paste- 2 tsp ginger paste -1 tsp red chilli powder- 1 tsp garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder / haldi- 1/4 tsp salt to taste cream – 3 tbsp oil – 4 tbsp
Method:
Marinate chicken pieces with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook on low flame until light brown. Drain excess oil. Add onion into the same pan stir well until it is translucent.
Now add tomato puree, stirring continuously. Cook covered on low flame for about 8 minutes, ensuring that spices do not stick to the vessel’s bottom or pan. Add cream mix evenly. Lastly, add garam masala powder and cumin seeds, powder Cook, for another 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with puri or paratha.
Why do we eat it?
There are many reasons to eat biryani. The dish is rich in protein, carbohydrates and calories – making it suited for athletes or people working hard during the day. The spices give the dish a unique odour, making it popular for cooking with friends and family.
Biryani can be made into smaller portions that can be frozen and eaten at a later stage. However, biryani must be stored correctly to preserve the quality of all ingredients for as long as possible.
Biryani was traditionally made with goat meat, but now chicken is the most common meat used. In India, vegetarians might eat biryani without any meat because the dish uses vegetables instead.
Biryani was originally rich in carbohydrates and protein, which were necessary for the Mughals who spent most of their time riding horses or hunting wild boar.
The Bottom Line
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