You could be eating biryani all your life without knowing which style it was cooked in. Team Viva talks to the Biryani Project to know what goes into making one
Biryani might seem like a simple affair but hours of preparation and ingredients go into making even one small handi-full of it. And, it is not limited to the usual Hyderabadi or lucknawi style that is prevalent in Delhi. There are varied kinds from all across India. Just in Andhra Pradesh, one can find at least two different kinds, the popular Hyderabadi spicy style and also the fried piece chicken biryani, which is more easily available in the coastal areas. Another unknown biryani can be found in closely-guarded secrets of the small community of Bohris in Mumbai.
Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
Fry piece chicken biryani aka Godavari is a delicious combination of pan fried chicken and Baghara rice. High on coastal flavours, this biryani is cooked in curry leaves and special Godavari spices, which involve dryroasting 12 different spices and condiments. This special spice mix is the key to the very distinctive flavour of this biryani and the process of making that mix is an extensive and perhaps the trickiest part to get this biryani right. The proportion of the 12 different condiments, if not picked right, would fail to impart the desired taste to the pan fried chicken. The rice is treated unlike other biryanis with curry leaves, ginger and garlic to infuse the flavours. We had the opportunity to savor this spicy and dry biryani while we were doing our research on Hyderabadi biryani and it was an instant pick for us because of its very distinct coastal taste.
In Andhra Pradesh, pan-fried chicken and Baghara rice are cooked separately and then assembled before it is served. The biryani is cooked in claypot handis individually. Instead of assembling it, the chefs did some technical changes and started finishing this variant through the process of 10 minutes of dum. It infused the flavours of pan fried chicken into the rice making it even more flavourful. This coastal biryani is served with raita that is tempered with red chilis and curry leaves.
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Bohri biryani is one of the lesser known variants which comes from Bohri community concentrated in and around Maharashtra region. Bohris are affluent Muslim businessmen who are known for their delicious non-vegetarian fare. So much so that their everyday meal is a gastronomical delight for an average Indian. Food is an integral part of their tradition which explains their lavish meal spread in a thaal each day. Unlike most of us, Bohris start their meal with desserts.
Traditionally, the meat with assorted vegetables including potatoes, tomatoes, drumstick and even bottlegourd. What’s unique about Bohri is its cooking style. It traditionally makes use of potatoes which is also infused with flavours. Another distinctive feature of this mildly spiced biryani is the use of fresh green chili paste alone and not red chili powder which imparts it unique flavour. It also uses prunes/aloo bokhara which compliments the green chili with its ‘bheeni mithas’.
Similarly, Bohri Biryani at the Biryani Project is an inspired version with certain twists. They followed the nuances mentioned above, and decided to add bell peppers to this variant which goes very well with this unique preparation. This biryani is served with our own recipe of pickled raita.
Apart from these unknown ones, they also serve the Awadhi Biryani of lucknow and the Kachche Gosht ki Biryani of Hyderabad that are more easily available in almost all joints. Except these are kept light and easy.
lucknow, Uttar pradesh
lucknowi biryani is mildly spiced so that you don’t feel it on the tongue. Actually, subtlety is given the highest regard here. It is smooth, fragrant (rose and screw-pine water), colourful and inviting. No ingredient in this biryani will overpower the other. The toughest thing while cooking this is the balance. The meat piece in lucknow is medium sized and it’s cooked so well that even with a spoon, the meat will easily fall off the bone. The Yakhni is prepared separately and is then layered with rice and cooked in dum. It is mostly called Pakki biryani since the meat is cooked prior to layering. In lucknow, it is served with korma or raita. The recipe was an art mastered by the royal bawarchis. With the last Nawab (Wajid Ali Shah) imprisoned in Calcutta, the dish lost its royal patronage.
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
In Hyderabad, the dish is all about hot and spicy tastes. It is called Kachche gosht ki biryani as the meat is marinated raw and cooked with rice on dum together. It is a gastronomical delight and it is popularly said that lucknowi and Hyderabadi Biryani have been at war (as to which one is better). The city proudly claims that nowhere in the country is this dish prepared the way it is done in Hyderabad. The raw marinated meat and parboiled rice are cooked together in a handi with spices, a little bit of water and oil. Small meat pieces are used so that the marination gets a good hold. While the layering process is identical in lucknow and Hyderabad, preparation method of both the biryanis render its own uniqueness of taste, flavour and aroma to the delicacy. There’s no use of coriander, mint and green chilis in lucknow but the one in Hyderabad is loaded with these three. Unlike the Awadhi one, it is not incensed with rose or screw-pine water. Also, no food colouring is used in the Hyderabadi one unlike the lucknow variant and the biryani is topped with mint, coriander and fried onions while serving.
Another unusual biryani that has become somewhat famous around Delhi is the Moradabadi, a region in Uttar Pradesh. However, the GK-2 restaurant doesn’t have this on the menu.
Moradabadi, uttar pradesh
Unlike the Awadhi one the chicken and whole spices are first boiled in water with salt and then the biryani rice is poured into the same concoction. The spices are wrapped in a cloth bag while boiling alongside the chicken.
The chicken is separated from the broth once everything is boiled together in a pressure cooker. The broth is not to be thrown away since it would be used again during the preparation of the dish.
It had become famous because of Alam Biryaniwale in Moradabad and those who come to the capital from the small city have carried their tradition with them.