Biriyanis & Pulaos

jyotirmoy

From various historical journals & especially from Ain-I-Akbar, Journal of Jahan ara, the chronicles of Haqueem Abdullah of the court of Nawab Shiraz-u-dullah & later the writings of the chefs of the deposed ruler of Awadh during his exile in Calcutta we find the mention of numerous varieties of Biryani & Pulao.
It is this preparation of rice with meats & nuts that has seen maximum improvisations. The Subedars & Nawabs of places distant from the capitol & head quarters of the ruling Badsha in Delhi indulged in all sorts of epicurean pleasures. Great chefs were highly patronized & held as treasure at the palaces of them. These chefs carried out relentless improvisation & often introduced radical changes by integrating local produces in pursuit of their passion as well as to please the kings for monetary gains. A section of the Haqueems researched the medicinal properties of herbs & spices often driven by their masters to cook up potent aphrodisiacs. Many historians believe that Emperor Sha Jehan died of an over dose of aphrodisiac.
Here are some medical properties of various ingredients as found in the writings of Charak the father of Indian Auyrveda.
Onion:
Sweet in Rasa, enhancer of stamina, has anti arthritis properties, stimulates secretion of gastric juice, & imparts vitality.
Garlic:
Prevents heart diseases, helps in curing depilating fever & gastritis, contains anti-leprosy agents, prevents ring worms, improves respiratory function, helps in irritating cough.
Green Cardamom:
Bitter in Rasa, has cooling properties, has anti flatulent & anti piles agents.
Black Cardamom:
Bitter in Rasa, cleans bile duct, purifies blood, antidote to travel sickness & vomiting, fights various types of toxins, prevents oral irritation.
Cinnamon:
Sweet in Rasa, anti flatulent, cools the body, improves appetite & has astringent properties.
Bay leaves:
Sweet in Rasa, intestinal lubricant, good for cough, lack of appetite & piles.
Cloves:
Bitter in Rasa, good for eyesight, fights against Pyorrhea & other gum infections, has anti flatulent properties, soothes soar throat.
Mace:
Bitter in Rasa, good for cough & cold, vomiting, worms, anti toxin & slightly narcotic.


For good Biriyanis & Pulaos the quality of the rice used is very important. Long grained & non-sticky varieties, which are of absorbent nature so as to soak the ghee & the fats, are best suited for Biriyanis & Pulaos. It should be cooked in such a manner that each grain remains separate from others. The rice should be washed & dried before cooking. On a bright sunny day I often wash a good quantity of rice & add a bit of turmeric to a portion of it for making Khichdi & dry the stuff. I store these in airtight containers.
The most delicious of the long list of varieties are the following:
Classical Biriyani
Khaibari Jerbiriyani
Nurmahali Jerbiriyani
Shajahani Briyani
Katch chi Biriyani
Lokma Pulao
Habsi Pulao
Nurani Pulao
Mossabot Pulao
Kondan Pulao
Khorashani Pulao
Rista Pulao
Esnam khani Pulao……..the list is endless.

Apart from the meat based Pulaos there are some excellent vegetarian Pulaos like:
Jasmine Pulao
Green peas Pulao
Vishnu bhog(Pulao of ripe mangoes)
Orange Pulao
Rose petal Pulao

Here is the recipe for my favourite Biriyanis a meat based one & the other a vegetarian delight.

Khaibari Jerbiriyani
You need:
Mutton 1-1/2 kG. Choose a mix of cuts from the ribs, necks, & shoulders. A point to note regarding cuts is that the meat of the most exercised parts of the body is tasty. Therefore, the legs, necks, & the tails yield the best cuts. Oh how I miss the Ox tail soup! We brought back some pouches last June from Europe, thought of saving these for the winter but succumbed to the temptation & finished these. I would be grateful if any reader gifts me some.
Rice 800 gms
Ghee 2 cups
Natural Yogurt 250 gms
Ginger 75 gms
Black pepper 2 tablespoons
Coriander 3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds 1-1/2 spoons.
Dried onion seeds (Kalonji) 10 gms.
Bay leaves four leaves.
Cloves 5 nos.
Cinnamon 3 sticks
Cardamoms 5 nos.
Saffron a few strands dissolved in warm milk.
Salt & red chilies to taste.

Marinate the meat with Ginger paste, chilly & salt for 2 hours. The idea of adding the salt at this stage is to let the meat yield all the water in the tissues. Do not use metallic container not even stainless steel. I often use a plastic seal able pouch & turn it several times to expose all the surfaces to the marinade. It’s a good idea to keep the marinating meat in the refrigerator.
Make a paste of Cardamom, Coriander; mix the paste with half portion of the Yogurt. Coat the meat with this mix & keep.
In a pot with tight fitting cover, place the bay leaves & sprinkle the Cumin seeds, onion seeds, Cinnamon & black Peppers on these. Place the marinated meat on this bed. Throw in the Cloves evenly on the meat. Pour the Ghee on this & then the rice mixed with the balance Yogurt.
Cover the pot tightly & put on a very low flame. Let it cook slowly & try to hear the sound coming from the pot. Once the rice is cooked in the water released by the Yogurt & the meat you will hear the sound of frying & that is the time to turn off the heat & let it cook by it-self.
Use a stone mortar to grind the Saffron strands in the warm milk & pour it on the Biriyani & keep it covered for a while before serving.
Please do not laugh if I say that I have an old stethoscope, which I use to hear the sound coming from the pot.
Note that this preparation doesn’t use Onions & Garlics, I avoid these as far as possible to let the other spices & herbs do the magic.

Vishnu Bhog
You need:
Rice 800 gms.
Full cream milk 1-1/2 litres.
Ghee 120 gms.
Sugar 120 gms.
Sweet Mango pulp 750 gms. Alphanso or Langra variety is best.
Dry Sultanas 30 gms.
Seeds of black Cardamoms ¼ teaspoon.
Cinnamon 1 inch stick broken in to small pieces.
A little of ground Nutmeg.
Camphor & Saffron just a pinch.
Heat the Ghee in a pan & sauté the Sultanas & keep. Sauté the Cinnamon, Cardamom seeds & transfer the stuff on to a pot which has a tight fitting lid.
Place the pot on flame & add the rice. Fry the rice for a while & then slowly add the milk. Keep stirring, this is very important cause if the milk burns you have ruined the meal. Add the Nutmeg powder. After you have mixed all the milk, cover & cook on a very low flame.
Once the rice is cooked, slowly pour in the Mango pulp & sugar. Keep stirring gently now to avoid pulping the rice grains. Add the sautéed Sultanas, Camphor & the Saffron. Turn off heat cover & let it cool before serving.

Hyderabadi

No mention of Hyderabad? What about the famous 'Hyderabadi Biryani' ( ), no such thing?!

We, at my home in HYD, make the Kattchi Biryani and a 'Kheema Biryani' with Nallis ( shanks ), really, the Hyderabad we grew up in has as many Biryani recipes as homes and restaurants serving them.

The Nizam Club used to serve the most 'authentic' Nehari and 'Hyderabadi' Biryani imho, cannot vouch for it's current authenticity as I've been away more than 4 years now. Perhaps our IM Hyderabad - resident expert BigZero can update us.

The accompaniments, Mirchi Ka Salan, Baghara Baighan, Buraan ( a kind of Raita ), and finally Double Ka Meetha and/or Khubani Ka Meetha (with cream or custard or vanilla ice cream ) are perhaps worth a humble mention in this thread? And perhaps some to wash it down?

And then later as you head home , a stop at the the nearby 'Paan Dabba' for a Raj Ratan Meetha Pan with some gossip and perhaps a cigarette? Kya boltein miyan?

Ah, the laid back atmosphere of Hyderabad, where parsoon is the day after as well as 20 years from now or 20 years ago or simply day before yesterday.......good food does take time to cook.

jyotirmoy

I have mentioned Katchi Biriyani in the list I had posted. As I have indicated in the begining of my post that my research of Biriyani & Pulao from a limited selection of historical journals only. As I had said the local lords like say the Great Nizams of Deccan & Wajid Ali Sha in Calcutta after being deposed were foodies & sponsored experimentation.
To be frank I dont have much knowledge about authentic Hyderabadi food except the ones I have eaten in restaurants & at the Andhra Bhawan in Delhi. I would be very happy if some one writes about it.

Bigzero

Hi Jyotirmoy,

i can understand hyderabadi's feelings... It is a big mistake to talk about biriyanis and not to mention Hyderabadi Biriyani... In my opinion, Hyd Biriyani is very much up there in the hierarchy of biriyanis.

Jokes apart,

Hyderabad Biriyani is distinct, and of all biriyani's i have tasted ( which sadly is not too many ), it is the most "complete" . To have Hyderabadi Biriyanis, one must come down to Hyderabad, period. I remember having a hyderabadi biriyani in a restaurant in baroda, years before coming to hyderabad. It was a greenish looking and seriously unimaginative biriyani, and I assumed that to be representative of authentic hyderabadi biriyani till i finally landed here and got the first taste of the local cuisine.

There are a number of places serving phenomenal biriyanis in the twin cities.

Here is a Biriyani thread which gives a listing of known biriyani joints in India...

In search of the best biriyani..


p.s. Katchi Biriyani is not hyderabadi biriyani! katch was in gujarat when i went there last time..

__________________
miles to go....

Bigzero's Photo Gallery

Hyderabadi

Jyotimoy, Hyderabadi cuisine is unique, you must try it sometime. There is, as I indicated in my earlier post, no single recipe for 'Hyderabadi Biryani', the most authentic biryani woud be the one served in Muslim wedding feasts. Nizam Club comes close, and they serve most of the traditional Hyderabadi dishes.

Here is an article I found:


Hyderabadi Cuisine :An Introduction


The 400 years of Hyderabadi culture also has its origin in Art, Music & Dance, Poetry, and last but not least, the Cuisine.

Hyderabad is never complete without the mention of the "Shahi Dastarkhan". The Dastarkhan is the Dining place where the food is served and eaten. It is normally a low chowki for the dining table and cotton mattresses for squatting and bolsters for the back rest. The Dastarkhan holds a place of reverence in every household.

The Cuisine of Hyderabad has been influenced by various regional and religious cuisines, both Indian and Foreign, despite which it has been able to create an identity of its own. It has also been able to contribute towards making Indian cuisine popular world wide. The "Biryani" from this cuisine is one such example.More...

jyotirmoy

Hyderabadi,
Thanks for all the info. I visited the library yesterday & got to read about a bit regarding the Andhra style of cooking but the literature available is quite contempory I couldn locate anything that dates back to history. But I will search further.
Regards.

Hyderabadi

Your approach to Indian cuisine, in terms of research is quite different, and I do appreciate that.

The current Andhra region was ruled by the Sathavahanas, Ikshvakus, Chalukyas,Kaakatiyas and later under the Vijayanagara (Hampi) empire and the Qutub Shahi (parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Orissa) dynasties. Infact, the one of the royal symbols of the Qutub Shahi dynasty is the 'kulcha', it is said that it was foretold that the Qutub Shahi dynasty would last for exactly 7 generations, the number of 'kulchas' given to a fakir by the first of the Qutub Shahis. There are various versions of this story.

Recommended reading : 'The Days of the Beloved' and 'My Dear Nawab Saheb' by Ronnie Lytton, published by Orient Longman Ltd., give a glimpse into the life style of the last Nizams. Quite colorful and at the same time sad. Link:http://www.forrestgreenslade.com/ronnie_lynton.htm . Mir Mahabub Ali Pasha ( my avatar, and I'm a hindu) is revered by Hindus and Muslims even today, for his affection for the people of his kingdom.

On the other hand there are some pre-historic burial sites in the Moula-Ali area of the twin city of Secunderabad.

The leisurely lifestyle of Hyderabad is reflected in its cuisine.

Andhra Pradesh on Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_...h#17th_Century

Look forward to your opinin on the Andhra/Telangana/Rayalaseema cuisines of Andhra Pradesh.

jyotirmoy

Hyderabadi,
I did some study of the Biriyanis cooked in Andhra style. The most striking difference that I could figure out after initial study is the use of Mint leaves. I think this & a bit of more than average Ginger(for me) makes it more tangy.
Thanks for the link, I learnt a lot of history & customs. I will study more & may try to cook a Biriyani my-self soon.
Oh yes Haleem is somrthing we cook often in winter & paya soup.
Regards.

Hyderabadi

Found a picture and it made me hungry for biryani, and its just (weekend)breakfast time here .

anar

isn't there any water that needs to be added?? how does the rice cook without adding any water?

i hope someone gives me an answer soon as i plan to cook fish biriani tonight!

jyotirmoy

Natural Yogurt 250 gms and the juice of the meat provide all the water needed.

jyotirmoy

Here is one for fish pulao

400 gms rice
500 gms boneless fish
115 gms onion paste
5 gms ginger
2 tbsp green chilli paste
10g pepper corns
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
250 gms oil
50 gms potatoes


Cut the fish into pieces and mix with onion paste, salt, green chilli paste and pepper powder.
Deep fry in oil until golden brown.
Heat half of the oil in a pan, fry rice with potatoes, turmeric and ginger for a few minutes.
Add sufficient water to the rice and cook till it’s three-fourths ready.
Add fish pieces, mix well and cook the rice until it is done.

anar

thanks, jyotirmoy, i'm going to give it a go!

jyotirmoy

Good luck Anar

kmalik

Jyoti da -

This is a receipe / receipe reference request...

In your original post, you had mentioned several vegetarian birianis/pulaos:

Jasmine Pulao
Green peas Pulao
Vishnu bhog(Pulao of ripe mangoes)
Orange Pulao
Rose petal Pulao

Unfortunately, the one you gave the details of (Vishnu Bhog) has one ingredient: Mango pulp that is not easily available in my neck of the woods (except, of course, from a can that I hate to use). Any pointers to or the receipes of one or more of the other alternatives would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!