Moghlai Biryani

This recipe may look complex and but trust me, it isn’t. It’s easy, simple and very very tasty. Try it once and you’ll love it.

You will need:
Rice – 400 gms
Mutton – 500 gms
Lime – 1
Cashew/almonds – 50 gms
Mint – a few sprigs
Ghee – 115 gms
Coriander leaves – ¼ bunch
Onion – 115 gms
Ginger – 5 gms
Green chillies – 5 gms (chopped finely)
Garlic – 3 flakes
Curd – 225 gms
Milk – 100 ml
De-seeded red chillies – 5
Turmeric – a pinch
A mix of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf – 2 gms
Saunf (aniseed) – a pinch
Saffron – a few strands
Wheat flour paste – enough to seal a pan

Preparation method:

The rice:
1. Boil rice with salt and cook till ¾th done.

2. Keep aside

The mutton:
3. Wash and cut mutton into small pieces

4. ginger, garlic and nuts into a fine paste

5. Heat ghee

6. Fry onions till golden crip, remove and set aside

7. Add bay leaves and the ground masala and fry for a few minutes

8. Add the meat and fry for 5-6 minutes on low flame, stirring continuously

9. Add a little tepid water and cook till the meat is tender and the gravy thick

10. Make a powder of the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and aniseed

11. Combine curds, with the powder, turmeric, chillies and the leaves

12. Add the juice of one lime and mix thoroughly

13. Add this to the mutton and stir well

The fusion:
14. Dissolve saffron in a little milk and sprinkle over half the rice

15. Make alternating layers of rice, mutton and fried onions

16. Pour remaining milk and oil over the rice

17. Cover pan and seal edges with the wheat dough paste

18. Bake for an hour at 143 degree centigrade (300 F)

Pukki Biryani

I hate to admit it, but this isn’t one of my favorite recipes. But if you feel brave today and want to try something different you might want to check this one out. Warning: if you’re making it for the first time make sure its not when you’ve invited guests over :D

You will need:

For the soup:
Mutton – 500 gms
Onion – 55 gms (uncut)
A mix of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom – 2 gms
Garlic – 6 flakes
Ginger – 5 gms
Salt to taste

For the rice:
Rice – 400 gms
Sultanas – 15 gm (optional)
Onions – 115 gms (thinly sliced)
Green chillies – 10 (adjust according to your spice level)
Ghee – 115 gms
Egg – 4 (hard boiled)

Preparation method:

1. Cook together all the ingredients for the soup till the meat is nice and tender

2. Cool and remove fat from the surface

3. Remove meat, strain the soup and set aside both the spice residue and the soup in separate dishes

4. Fry the sliced onions till crisp and set aside

5. In the same oil, add the green chillies and fry for a minute or two

6. Add meat and fry till brown

7. Add the rice and the spice residue from the soup

8. Fry till the ghee is completely absorbed

9. Add the soup and cook on low flame till the rice is done

Lutchi Biryani

I like experimenting with my food. Sometimes it’s disastrous :D and at others, a huge success. This is one such success story. Though the flavors aren’t traditional you will enjoy the distinctive taste it leaves behind.

You will need:

Mutton – ½ kg
Rice – 400 gms
Onions – 115 gms
Slit green chillies – 15 (I use 15 but you can adjust according to your spice level)
Coriander leaves – a small bunch
Tomato – 1 big
Curd – 200 ml
Garlic – 10 flakes
Ginger – 1 ince piece
Cumin – ½ tsp
A mix of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom – 2 gms
Saffron – a pinch
Ghee – 100 gms
Stock – 800 ml
Salt to taste


Preparation method:

1. Wash and soak the rice

2. Soak saffron in a little warm water

3. Grind the ginger, garlic

4. Cut the meat into mouth-sized bites and soak it in curds for 20 minutes

5. Slice the onions into thin stripe and fry till its golden brown

6. Remove and set aside

7. In the same oil fry the spice mix and cumin till the favor wafts out

8. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a few minutes

9. Add the green chillies and fry for a minute or two

10. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes

11. Now add the meat with the curds and fry for 15 minutes on low flame, stirring occasionally

12. Add the rice and coriander leaves to this

13. Stir in the hot stock

14. Add salt, cover the pan tightly and cook gently

15. When the rice is 3/4th done make a well of sorts in the centre and pour the saffron mix into it

16. Cover and cook till done

17. Serve garnished with the onions

Basic Chicken Biryani

Sometimes friends are wont to drop it without warning, yelling for food. A chicken biryani is usually sufficient to stop their craving for Indian food. Its got meat, rice and is spicy enough to satiate even the fussiest one of the bunch. This is a basic chicken biryani recipe which you can make with your eyes closed. When there are too many people and a sense of urgency, there may not be time to do an intricate version. Enjoy!

You Will Need:

Rice – 1 kg
Chicken – 1 kg
Onion – ½ kg
Mint leaves – a small bunch, just use the leaves
Coriander leaves – 1 big bunch
Tomatoes – 2 big ones
Garlic – 1
Ginger – 3 inch piece
Cloves – 20
Cinnamon – 3-4 pieces
Peppercorn – 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin) – ½ tsp
Green chillies – 6-7
Salt to taste

Preparation method:

1. Grind together all the ingredients except for rice, chicken and onions

2. Fry onions till brown

3. Add the ground masala and salt and fry till oil separates

4. Add chicken and cook till done

5. Cook and cool rice separately

6. Layer the chicken and rice in a dish

7. Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at 250 degree centigrade