September 1, 2010

Great Indian Recipes: The Great Flavor Of Chicken Biriyani

Biryani is a rice based recipe that includes meat or veggies as the key ingredient. Plenty of herbs and spices go into cooking Biryani and the meat and vegetables are layered and baked. Biryani in Persian means cooking and roasting and the word Biryani comes from the same.

Biryani originated from Persia and the legend has it that the nomads and tribals carried a lot of rice and meat on their extended journeys and they developed the custom of layering rice and meat and cooking them as one after sprinkling ample nuts and dry herbs. The customary approach consisted of cooking and simmering the combination under fire and then burying it in sand for a long time before the dish was deemed ready. The traditional form of Biryani has since then been improvised and modernized according to convenience

Biryani has taken a number of forms since then, and gone on to become a gourmet dish, that has been evolved and fine-tuned to such an extent, that now one comes across at least 50 varieties of Biryanis. I may be wrong there, as the number may be greater.

Biryani has Rice and Meat as its essential ingredients. The rest of the ingredients, vary based on the type and style of the Biryani being cooked.

There are many varieties of Biryani within India with each city having its own style, but perhaps Biryani from Hyderabad is the most famous of the lot. Believe it or not, some of the biryani recipes are secretly guarded by restaurants and families across generations. Biryani was infact introduced to India by the Mughals which was then improvised by the local Indians to suit their spice craving.

A tasty Biryani consists of well cooked meat and the right mix of spices and herbs, cooked along with rice. The Rice and Meat is never combined while cooking. They are both cooked separately. The last stage of the preparation consists of layering the 2 alternatively and usually cooked either in an oven or on traditional wood fire, using low heat.

For more information on the numerous kinds of chicken biriyani please go to the ifood community at chicken biriyani Those interested in vegetable biriyani can take a look at vegetable biriyani