30 Sep 2007, ST
By Chris Tan
Q How can I achieve a flavourful mutton/ chicken biryani? The biryani I cook turns out like normal curry rice. Some recipes call for cooking over low heat on a stove and some in an oven. Which method would yield a more genuine taste?
Yeo Li Ling
A True biryani is thought to be the offspring of northern Indian cuisine and Persian influences ('birian' means 'fried' in Farsi) via the Mughal empire.
It layers rice, meat marinated in yogurt and spices, and aromatic seasoning in a pot. It is then covered and sealed with a flour dough, and slowly baked until done.
This dum pukht - literally 'steam choked' - technique enables the rice to absorb meat juices, the meat to slowly relax into tenderness in its insulating bed of rice, and the spices to infuse and permeate the whole.
If the elements are cooked separately and then combined, then it's not the real McCoy.
Although the dish originated in Uttar Pradesh, the most famous biryanis are those of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
The most prized is perhaps kachche biryani, which cooks the meat and rice together from their raw state, rather than separately part-cooking either or both first. This requires very precise timing and marinating to produce tender meat without soggy rice.
Singapore's Indian Muslim and Muslim biryanis are fairly close to northern Indian models.
Peer into the pot of a local biryani stall and you'll typically see and smell fried onions and saffron - usually unnecessarily augmented with eye-blistering food colouring - rose water, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, mint and coriander leaves, raisins and cashew nuts.
I have no space to give you recipes here, but www.bawarchi.com has many.
Madhur Jaffrey's book From Curries To Kebabs: Recipes From The Indian Spice Trail also has a couple of easy-to-follow recipes. There are also a few entertaining videos of homestyle biryani-making on Youtube.
Traditionally, coals are bedded under and heaped on top of the biryani pot. At home, you can replicate this best in an oven.
Stovetop would be my second choice as long as you do not make the layers too deep, use a heavy-based pot, and keep the heat low.
If you're a beginner, make a pukki biryani - cook the meat and rice until each is about three-quarters done before layering them.
As you get more experienced at judging how much moisture and time are needed to complete the cooking, you can shorten the pre-cooking and prolong the dum period, melding the flavours better.
By Chris Tan
Q How can I achieve a flavourful mutton/ chicken biryani? The biryani I cook turns out like normal curry rice. Some recipes call for cooking over low heat on a stove and some in an oven. Which method would yield a more genuine taste?
Yeo Li Ling
A True biryani is thought to be the offspring of northern Indian cuisine and Persian influences ('birian' means 'fried' in Farsi) via the Mughal empire.
It layers rice, meat marinated in yogurt and spices, and aromatic seasoning in a pot. It is then covered and sealed with a flour dough, and slowly baked until done.
This dum pukht - literally 'steam choked' - technique enables the rice to absorb meat juices, the meat to slowly relax into tenderness in its insulating bed of rice, and the spices to infuse and permeate the whole.
If the elements are cooked separately and then combined, then it's not the real McCoy.
Although the dish originated in Uttar Pradesh, the most famous biryanis are those of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
The most prized is perhaps kachche biryani, which cooks the meat and rice together from their raw state, rather than separately part-cooking either or both first. This requires very precise timing and marinating to produce tender meat without soggy rice.
Singapore's Indian Muslim and Muslim biryanis are fairly close to northern Indian models.
Peer into the pot of a local biryani stall and you'll typically see and smell fried onions and saffron - usually unnecessarily augmented with eye-blistering food colouring - rose water, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, mint and coriander leaves, raisins and cashew nuts.
I have no space to give you recipes here, but www.bawarchi.com has many.
Madhur Jaffrey's book From Curries To Kebabs: Recipes From The Indian Spice Trail also has a couple of easy-to-follow recipes. There are also a few entertaining videos of homestyle biryani-making on Youtube.
Traditionally, coals are bedded under and heaped on top of the biryani pot. At home, you can replicate this best in an oven.
Stovetop would be my second choice as long as you do not make the layers too deep, use a heavy-based pot, and keep the heat low.
If you're a beginner, make a pukki biryani - cook the meat and rice until each is about three-quarters done before layering them.
As you get more experienced at judging how much moisture and time are needed to complete the cooking, you can shorten the pre-cooking and prolong the dum period, melding the flavours better.
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