Biryani flavours from the land of Nizams and Nawabs

Biplob Ghosal

Connoisseurs still remember the culinary spirit of the era bygone, when cooking was not just another chore but an art mastered by a select few. And, leading the way were the kitchens of royalty, where master chefs experimented to create those very special dishes meant for monarchs.

Nizams of Hyderabad and Nawabs of Lucknow led the pack, when it came to appreciating the subtle nuances of tastes and flavours and that’s why chefs in their kitchens were known the world over for their signature dishes.

Presented here is the recipe of a much loved, very special dish…the Biryani in two distinct ways of cooking - Nizami style from the Deccan and Nawabs’ favourite from Awadh.

Though both cuisines have some similarity but at the end they present two entirely different dimensions to the senses. While Biryani from Hyderabad is known for its liberal use of spices, the Lucknowi variety stands out for subtlety of its flavours.

History

Biryani is derived from the Parsee word `birian`, which means `fried before cooking`. While preparing the dish authenticity mandates ‘Dum’ cooking - this clearly indicates that the dish originated in Persia.

Emperor Taimur Lang is believed to have brought Biryani to our country. The Great Mughals also played a vital role in entrenching Biryani in different parts of the country.

In Mughal style of cooking, Biryani gets cooked in open fire so as to bring out the perfect tastes of exotic spices, dried fruits and nuts.

Mughal style of cooking left an indelible mark in the Gangetic plains and led to the evolution of the Awadhi Biryani in Lucknow. Later, Biryani became very popular and spread eastwards to Kolkata in 1856 during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.

From there, Biryani traveled to the Deccan and further south with tyrant Aurangzeb and his invading army.

The Mughlai style gradually seeped into our already rich culinary heritage. The torchbearers of ‘Biryani’ revolution were Nizams of Hyderabad. Their kitchens experimented with flavours and came up with a unique variety of Biryani, now called the Hyderabadi ‘Dum’ Biryani’ - complimented by other unique culinary delights like ‘Mirchi ka Salan’, ‘Dhanshak’ and ‘Baghare Baingan’.

Diff between Lucknowi and Hyderabad Biryani

On looking closely at the evolution of Biryani, one can conclude that there are two types of Biryani - `kutchi` (raw) and `pukki` (cooked).

Biryani from Lucknow is known as ‘pukki’ Biryani and the Hyderabad one is famous for being ‘kutchi’ Biryani. According to the `pukki` style, meat and rice are cooked separately then layered in a copper vessel for the finish. Whereas in ‘kutchi’ variety (with raw gravy); meat, marinade and rice are layered raw and cooked in `Dum`.

If you want a mouthful of the authentic Biryani, here is the original age-old recipe of Biryani, straight from the kitchens of royalty…

Hyderabadi Biryani (Kacche gosht ki Biryani)

Ingredients:

750 gm pulao rice

500 gm mutton preferably in small pieces (cut-boti pieces will be fine)

Whole spices: Cinnamon – 2-3 pcs, clove – 2-3 pcs, Cardamom – 2-3 pcs, big Cardamom – 2 pcs, Star Anise – 1 pc (Make sure to crush them)

Onion – (400-500) gm

Ghee – 100 gm

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Green chilli paste – ½ tbsp

Red chilli paste – ½ tbsp

Brown onion – 100 gm

Curd – 200 gm

Raw papaya paste – 1 tbsp

Kabab chilli powder – ½ tbsp

Mace – ¼ tbsp

Green cardamom powder – ½ tbsp

Dhania powder – 1 tbsp

Jeera powder – 1 tbsp

Mint chopped – 2 bunch

Coriander chopped – ¼th of bunch

Saffron – a pinch

Milk – 50 ml

Salt as per taste

Wheat flour paste (for Dum)

Procedure: