A world renowned dish, just mentioning the word is enough to excite the gastronomic juices of a million plates is the Biryani. The aroma of the Indian Basmati rice, steamed with authentic Indian spices, chunky pieces of Chicken or Mutton is like the King of the culinary world. Historically, the Biryani was introduced by the Hyderabadi Nizams, and its royal taste was said to be so divine that it was presented to the soldiers as reward when they would fight, win and witness victory.
Each city has its own Biryani saga, mostly varying on the way of presentation, the cooking method and the Pukka style and the Kutchi style- where in the former method layers of meat and rice cooked together, and in the later style they are cooked separately and then mixed together.
The quality of the Basmati rice plays a great role behind authentic biryani. There is a no-hassle way to buy Basmati Rice Online UK You can get Indian Basmati rice when you visit any Indian grocery store UK online. So, the deliciously complex blend of flavours, spices, and aromas in biryani can be from your own kitchen.
Good Spices Make Good Biryani
Whatever said and done, this super sumptuous food does a great job of satisfying its subjects. The perfect biryani calls for rightly measured good ingredients, a practiced technique, patience and the magic of spices.Traditionally, the dish is prepared in a slow cooking process, where the ingredients are added in a pot and slow cooked over charcoal, sometimes a burning charcoal is put on top also, to allow the essence or steam to works its divine role. For sealing,dough is used to seal the edges, allowing the full aromatic meat to tenderize in its own juices while flavouring the rice. Finally, the end result is- an epitome of unassailable deliciousness.
Other than the perfect timing and technique, spices play a critical role in presenting a good biryani – some uses a very limited spices on their biryani while others use more than 15 different spices. The whole spices are put in a pouch to leave its aroma on the steaming rice. The next is meat or chicken, which is the next main ingredient, though in some areas fish, prawns, and crabs are also used. Use of rose water, kewra water and sweet edible ittarin biryani is also common, a practice that has been prevalent since the medieval era.
As it is rightly said, “Biryani is not a food, it’s an emotion”. It is a complete meal in itself with enough varieties to please one and all. This is also a celebration- a dish that suits all occasions – whether it is a grand party, a lazy Sunday lunch, a college get-together or a formal dinner. It is something that brings the flavors of history drifting to the restaurants and homes across the country remains as fresh and fascinating as ever. It is the marvel of India’s culinary heritage that satiates the hunger of every rich and poor.
Also Read: Essential Spices in Indian Cooking- Season to Taste
