Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe
This traditional Hyderabadi biryani stands as one of the most flavorful biryani recipes you'll ever encounter. Layers of marinated meat and fragrant Basmati rice are slow-cooked with a meticulous selection of herbs and spices, allowing each grain of rice to absorb the rich and aromatic juices.
Ingredients
For the Birista (crispy onions)
- 210 grams red onions sliced
- Cooking oil for frying
For the Biryani Masala:
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ mace optional
- 2 teaspoons shahi jeera caraway seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
For the Mutton Marinade:
- 1 kg mutton cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons homemade Biryani Masala
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- 2-3 green chilies slit
- 220 grams yogurt 1 cup
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup fried onions from birista
- ¼ cup oil from fried onions
For the Saffron Infused Milk (optional)
- A small pinch of saffron
- 50 ml milk
For the Rice:
- 500 grams Basmati rice
- 2 liters water
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon shahi jeera
- A handful of mint leaves
- A handful of cilantro leaves
- Green chilies optional
For Layering the Biryani:
- Mint leaves
- Cilantro leaves
- Fried onions reserved from birista
- Ghee melted
- Biryani Masala
Instructions
Prepare the Birista (crispy onions):
- In a large pot, heat oil until hot and deep fry the sliced onions until browned and crispy. Drain and set aside.
Make the Biryani Masala:
- In a large saute pan over medium low heat toast the cloves, cardamom, stick cinnamon, mace (optional), shahi jeera, coriander seeds, bay leaf, fennel seeds for 30 seconds until the spices just start to color. Cool and grind into a powder using a spice grinder.
Mutton Marinade:
- In a large bowl, mix together the mutton, salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, kashmir red chili powder, mint leaves, cilantro, green chilies, yogurt, lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons of biryani masala, half a cup of birista (crispy onions) and ¼ cup of the oil you fried the birsta in. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the Saffron Infused Milk:
- Warm the milk slightly and infuse with saffron. Set aside.
Preparing the Rice:
- Rinse the basmati rice under running water for 2-3 times. Place in a bowl filled with water and leave to soak for 30-60 minutes then drain.
- In a large pot bring 2 liters of water to a boil with salt, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, shahi jeera, mint, cilantro, and optional green chilies. Add drained rice and cook until 50%-60% done, about 5-6 minutes. Reserve half a cup of cooking water then drain the rice.
Preparing the Biryani:
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, layer marinated mutton, half the rice, some fried onions, mint, cilantro, and a sprinkle of biryani masala. Repeat layers, finishing with melted ghee and saffron milk.
- Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to very low.
- Carefully lift the lid and place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pot to tightly seal in the steam, then add the lid. Place a cast iron skillet under the pot and continue to cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and the mutton is tender. Serve the Hyderabadi biryani hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 846kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 38gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 191mgPotassium: 697mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 176IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 4mg
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