Biriyani Recipes...

Hyderabad Biriyani is one of the best preparation I have learned after my marriage. When we were in Hyderabad, almost every weekends our dinner was chicken or mutton biriyani. But after coming to USA, my husband started preparing biriyani at home and learned from him. I often prepare different types of biriyani at home for my guests and of-course for us to give a special festival mood for Friday nights. A strong aroma of biriyani masala with star anise and mint leaves and a bowl of  salad and raita gives a complete food and satisfaction. History has its own story about feeding the army a complete food and all but biriyani has become widely popular all around the world. Here I have shared some simple recipes for my readers and followers who can easily prepare at home.

Hyderabadi mutton biriyani..

 Another jewel from Hyderabad cuisine that no one can say no. I love to prepare this for special occasions. After going through lots of recipes, I modified little bit and made this for easier version using rice cooker. I have found that if you can prepare couple of hours before serving then tastes awesome.

Ingredients:::
2 lbs medium size mixed mutton/goat meat pieces,
4 cups of basmati rice, washed and drained
2 big size red onions, sliced
2-3 nos. bay leaves,
3-4 nos. cardamons, crushed
3-4 nos. cloves,
3 nos. 1" cinnamon sticks,
2-3 nos. star anise,
1 tbsp red chilli powder,
salt as per your taste,
1 tbsp ghee/oil,
1/3 cup milk,
a few strands of saffron.

For marination:::
1 tbsp turmeric powder,
2-3 tbsp biriyani masala,
1 tsp oil,
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
salt as per your taste,
1 tsp meat tenderizer.

Method::
1. Clean and pat dry mutton pieces and then marinate with all the ingredients mentioned above for marination. Keep aside for minimum 3 hours.  
2. In a pressure cooker or deep bottomed pan, fry sliced onions adding 3-4 tbsp of oil. Sprinkle little salt. Once onion changes color to dark red and then take out fried onions to paper napkins to absorb extra oil.
3. Add star anise, one cardamon and one bay leaf to the pan and then saute a little. Add marinated mutton pieces and mix everything nicely and let it cook until just done adding half cup of water on medium flame. If you are using pressure cooker, cook till 4-5 whistles and then let it stand till steam comes out.
4. Add 1 tsp ghee or oil at the bottom of rice cooker. Sprinkle 1/4 fried onions, chopped mint and coriander leaves and then spread cooked mutton pieces leaving gravy in the pan.
5. Then boil enough water in a big vessel adding ghee,bay leaf,crushed cardamons, cloves,cinnamon and salt. Once it starts boiling, add washed basmati rice and let it cook for 5 minutes. Once done, drain excess water from rice keeping all the spices. Use a big strainer if possible.
6. Add saffron strands to warm milk and keep aside.
7. Now add 1/4 of cooked rice on top of the mutton pieces and then spread fried onions,mint and coriander leaves. Add 2 tsp of gravy on top of that. Again add 1/4 of cooked rice and repeat the process except the gravy. Repeat the process till you are done layering rice. At last, sprinkle saffron milk on the top of that and little coriander leaves. Close the rice cooker and let it cook on normal "white rice" mode or cook mode. 
8. Once done, you can keep the cooker on warm mode till serving.

I make little more gravy and use as shorba. You can transfer biriyani on wide pan or whatever you are using for serving and then cover with aluminum foil and then keep warm in oven before serving. If you don't have saffron, use food color mixed with warm milk.
You can prepare before minimum 6 hours and while serving just make it warm and serve. I use grated raw papaya instead of store-bought tenderizer.
I like to use shan biriyani masala but you can use other good brands too.

Hyderabadi kachhe murg ki biriyani ::

This is the authentic style of biriyani what we used to eat in Paradise, the famous biriyani house in Hyderabad. Authentically, biriyani is prepared in giant vessels, what they say handis but here in USA we like to do it in oven. It is hassle-free and easy to prepare in oven if you can manage timing. This is my try and tested recipe and if you follow the recipe you will have restaurant style biriyani.
Ingredients::: 
2 lbs medium size chicken pieces,
4 small cups of basmati rice,
3 medium size onions,sliced
1 no. bay leaf,
a pinch of cumin seeds,
1 no.star anise,
one handful of coriander and mint leaves,chopped
a pinch of orange food color, mixed in warm milk.

for rice preparation..
1 tbsp butter or ghee,
1 no. bay leaf,
3 nos. cardamon and cloves each,
1 inch cinnamon,
1/4 tsp of nutmeg and mach each,
1/2 tsp salt, 
for chicken marination..
half cup of lemon juice,
3 tbsp biriyani masala,
1 tsp salt and oil each,
1 tsp red chilli powder, optional
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste.

Method::::
1. Wash and soak rice for minimum 10-15 minutes. Drain excess water and spread rice on paper napkin. Boil enough water in a deep-bottomed pan adding all the ingredients mentioned above for rice cooking. Once boiling, add rice and let it cook exactly for 5-6 minutes. Rice will be cooked exactly for 40% .
2. Drain out excess water using big strainer and shake to take out any extra water and let it stand.
3. In the mean time, marinate chicken pieces with the ingredients mentioned above for marination. Keep it covered for at least 5-6 hours.
4. Now take a deep-bottomed and heavy pan or pressure cooker and heat enough ghee or oil. Add bay leaf, star anise and cumin seeds and saute until cumin seeds start spluttering. Add sliced onions and saute for 3-4 minutes. When onion slices become light brown in color take 2/3 part of the onion and spread on paper napkin to absorb extra oil.
5. Place all the marinated chicken carefully on the onion layer and let it fry for 3-5 mins on medium flame. Then, turn all the pieces. 
6. Now if you are doing the layering part in oven then let it fry for another 3 mins. Otherwise, spread 1/3 part of cooked rice over the chicken pieces and then spread mint leaves,coriander leaves and fried onions and sprinkle a little food color mixed milk and then repeat the process for the rest of rice.
7. Close the vessel with a tight lid or keep a heavy weight to close the lid. If you are using the pressure cooker then close the cooker but don't put the whistle and let it cook for 25 mins on low-medium flame and after that, let it stand on low heat for 10 minutes and then switch off the flame. Don't open the lid before serving.
8. For the oven, take a oven proof vessel or pan, apply little oil and then spread the chicken pieces and make the layer following the step 6. 
9. Now, close the pan / vessel tightly with aluminum foil and then make two or three holes on the top with a knife or fork and then let it cook at 375F for 25mins and then let it stand at 275F until you serve. 
10. While serving, use a fork to mix rice and then serve with sliced onion , lemon and raita of your choice.

For biriyani masala, you can use shan or any good quality store-brought ones too. I use pressure cooker for doing the entire process without using whistle to take out extra steam. Though it says to close the vessel tightly with dough so that any air or steam should not come out but I personally do not follow and got better result. For better taste, you can prepare biriyani one day before and keep it inside refrigerator and place inside oven or microwave for half an hour and serve it. 

Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani:::

When we started to prepare biriyani, this is the simplest version I have found in websites. You can easily prepare this biriyani nicely on stove-top if you don't have oven. Try this and enjoy your home-made biriyani.
Ingredients I:
1 lb Chicken cut into medium pieces,
2 medium sized Onion (chopped),
3 nos Tomato (finely chopped),
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste,
1/2cup coriander/cilantro leaves (chopped),
1 stalks Mint leaves (chopped),
3 nos Green chilli (slit open),
2 cup Basmati rice,
3 tbsp Oil,
2 tbsp butter,
½ cup Yogurt,
3 cup Water,
2 nos Bay leaf,
2 nos Cinnamon,
5 nos Cloves,
3 nos Cardamon,
1no. Star Anise,
4nos.Peppercorn,
2½ tsp Salt (or to taste),
2 tsp Red chilli powder,
3 tsp coriander powder,
1/2tsp cumin powder,
1/4tsp black pepper powder,
a pinch nutmeg powder,
¼ tsp Turmeric powder,
1 pinch Orange food color (optional),
6 stalks Coriander leaves (chopped for garnishing),
2 tsp Ghee (to finish the dish),

Ingredients II :

¼ tsp Salt,
3 tsp Lemon juice,
1 pinch Turmeric powder,
½ tsp coriander powder,
½ tsp Red chilli powder,
½ tsp Ginger garlic paste,

How to prepare:

1. Wash and cut chicken into medium pieces(chicken breasts or thighs would be good).
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients II for at least one to one and half hour.
3. In a pressure cooker, heat butter and oil together and fry bay leaf,cinnamon, cloves, cardamon for half min. Now add chopped green chillies,chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and mint leaves.
4. Add chopped onions and fry for two mins and add ginger-garlic paste, when onions become slightly brown.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and stir frequently.When tomatoes are half cooked ,add marinated chicken.
6. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,nutmeg powder,black pepper powder and salt. Saute everything until it thicken to a gravy consistency.and chicken is half cooked.
7. While the gravy is still simmering, rinse 2 cups of Basmati rice and drain all water from it.
8. Add rice along with 3 cups of water and diluted 1 cup of yogurt and food color and mix well.
9. Check for salt and cook them for 15-20mins in pressure cooker without putting pressure / whistle.
10. Before serve, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves(optional).
11. Serve hot with boiled eggs and raita.(yogurt beaten well with salt.)
12. You can use normal saucepan or slow cooker instead of pressure cooker.But then cooking time will vary.