The following is a fine example of Hyderabadi cuisine – a Deccani fusion of Arab, Mughalai and Andhraite cooking that was shaped during the reigns of the Qutb shahi sultans and the Asaf Jahi Nizams. The only concession I have made to modern times is to use refined oil instead of pure ghee.

Basmati rice – 450 gm
Salt – 1 tablespoon
Mutton from the legs – 750 gm
Refined oil – as needed
Onion paste – 1/2 cup
Ginger paste – 2 tsp
Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Almond paste – 1/4 cup
Curd – 255 gm
Mint leaves – 10 – 15
Green chillies – 6
Salt – to taste
Butter – 2 tablespoon
Brishta of large onions – 2
Powdered almonds – 2 tablespoon
1/2 tsp. saffron mixed in 2 tbsp. kewra water.

Spices

Green cardamoms – 4
Black cardamom – 2
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Caraway seeds – 2 tsp
Blades of mace – 2
Nutmeg powder – 1/4 tsp
Pepper corns – 10
Cloves – 4
Small sticks cinnamon – 4

Heat a karahi well. Remove from heat and spread the spices on it. Stir for a couple of minutes just to heat through. These are not to be roasted. Grind to a powder.

Cook the rice in plenty of water with salt till half done. Strain and spread on a tray. The rice when pressed between the first finger and thump should feel quite hard.

Have the meat cut in medium sized pieces. Wash and the well.

Heat 5 tb oil in a non – stick skillet till very hot. Place the mutton pieces a few at a time in a single layer. Fry on both the sides till golden. Remove and reserve.

In the same oil, add the onion, ginger, garlic and almond paste. Fry stirring; if needed, add a tbsp. of water a few times in between. This paste has a tendency to catch. Allow to colour and pick up flavour.

When aromatic, add the beaten curd gradually so that it doesn’t curdle. Add the fried mutton, powdered spices, mint, green chilli, salt and enough hot water to cook the meat. Cover and cook on a medium low heat till the meat is done.

Put the meat in a degchi and spread the half cooked rice evenly. Top with butter, birishta, powdered almond and sprinkle saffron water.

Seal with foil and then cover tightly. Bake in a slow oven – 150 degree C / 300 degree F for 1 hour. Or, put on dum for 30 – 45 minutes with a tawa underneath.

Break seal at the time of serving.

Serve with the meat curry, raita and salad to make a full meal.

There are as many ways of preparing biriyani as there are families in India. This is my friend’s recipe – she got it from a muslim maid of hers, who has once worked for a royal family. You can have on its own, but a cool dish of raita goes very well with it.

Basmati rice – 1/2 kg
Ghee as needed
Whole garam masala – 2 tablespoon
Stock – 800 ml

Meat

Mutton – 1 kg
Curd – 300 gm
Ginger, garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Grated nutmeg – 1/4 tsp
Salt – to taste
Onion, sliced – 250 gm
Ghee as needed
You will also need
Medium sliced onion – 2
Cardamoms – 2
Cloves – 2
Small stick cinnamon – 1
Blade of mace – 1
Nutmeg – 1/4
Ghee – for frying

Soak the rice in water for half an hour. Drain well before use.

Marinate mutton in the curd, spices and salt for as long as time permits, a least 2 hours. Heat 1 tbsp. ghee, fry the whole garam masala, take out and grind.

Heat 1 cup ghee and fry the two sliced onions over medium heat till uniformly golden brown. Take out and spread over a paper so that the extra ghee can drain out. The onion will turn crisp. Grind it without water.

Take 4 tbsp. of ghee in which the onion was fried. Fry the 250 gm. of onion in it to a light brown. Add the meat alongwith its marinade. Fry till the ghee separates. Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 7 -8 minutes.

Open cooker, add the fried, ground garam masala and onion. Stir till the water evaporates. The mutton should have a thick gravy clinging to it.

Heat 4 tbsp. ghee in a thick bottomed degchi. Temper with the whole garam masala. Add the rice and stir fry till the rice turn translucent. Add the hot stock. Cover when the rice comes to a boil and reduce flame. Soon the water will be observed and you’ll find holes on the surface.

Take out half of the rice; spread the meat over the rice in the degchi and cover with the remaining rice. Cover tightly and put on dum, which means keep a tawa underneath till the rice gets done. Cook on a low fire.

Before serving, hold the degchi with both your hands and shake well so that the meat gets mixed with the rice. Serve hot garnished with silver warq.

This quiche like dish is a new and different answer to, “what’s for dinner tonight?”.

Rice - 1 cup
Butter - 1/2 tsp
Generous pinch of salt
Freshly crushed pepper - 1 tsp
Grated cooking cheese - 1/4 cup

Mushrooms

Button mushrooms - 16
Butter - 1 tsp
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Lime juice - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Stalk of parsley - 1

Chicken

chicken - 500 gm
Small onion - 200 gm
Medium carrot - 1
Water - 21/2 cup
Stalk of parsley - 1
Lime juice - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 tsp

Sauce

Refined oil - 2 tablespoon
Flour - 4 tablespoon
Stock - 21/2 cup
Tomato puree - 4 tablespoon
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Dash of pepper
Cream - 1/ 3 cup

Rice

Cook rice slightly softer than usual. When still hot mix with butter salt and pepper. Grease a casserole and line with the rice ; spread evenly and up the sides, too.

Mushroom

Wash and cut off the stems. Place all the ingredients in a pan and cover. When it comes to a boil. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

Chicken

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Peel, but keep the onions whole. Scrape and cut the carrot into cubes. Pressure cook all the ingredients together for 7 minutes. Strain, reserve stock. Discard bay leaf and parsley.

Sauce

Heat the oil and add the flour. Saure till the raw smell disappears. Add the stock, tomato puree, liquid from the mushroom, salt and pepper.

Stir to mix well. Add the chicken and vegetables to sauce and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Add the cream.

Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture on top of the rice in casserole. Cover with grated cheese and bake in 400 degree F / 200 degree C oven for 30 minutes, or until the surface browns slightly.

Variation

Omit tomato puree and use white sauce instead. Use peas in place of the carrot.

Brown rice is with the bran layer intact ; only the husk has been removed. Brown rice has more flavour than white rice ans has a higher vitamin and mineral content. Brown rice is available in health food stores.

Chicken – 750 gm
Can corn kernel – 350 gm
Onions – 225 gm
Large capsicums – 2
Butter – 11/2 tablespoon
Refined oil – 2 tablespoon
Chicken stock – 300 ml
Thick tomato puree – 2 tablespoon
Salt and pepper – to taste
Chopped coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
Roasted peanuts – 2 tablespoon

Cut the chicken to medium pieces. You can use fresh corn. In that case boil it and then use. Slice the onions and capsicums. Cook rive till just done – take not to overcook. Drain.

Heat the butter and oil in a degchi. Add the chicken and fry till golden on both the sides. Remove and reserve.

Lower the heat, add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes or until soft, but not coloured. Stir in the stock, tomato puree, salt, pepper and capsicum.

Replace the chicken, cover and cook gently for about 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Stir in the rice and corn. Mix with a light hand. Cooked over a low heat until the moisture evaporates and the rice is lightly heated through. Stirring a few times in between. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves and peanuts.

Serve with a salad.

This is an one course dish. You don’t really have to serve anything else with it, minimising your workload and saving time.

Butter - 11/2 tablespoon
Refined oil - 1 tablespoon
Large onion - 1 finely chopped
Capsicum - 1 finely chopped
Cooked rice - 1 cup firmly packed
Coarsely chopped walnuts and cashewnuts - 1/2 cup
Cooked minced meat - 1 cup
Egg - 1
Bread crumbs - 1/3 cup
Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika - 1 tsp
Chopped fresh coriander or parsley - 1/2 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Grate lime rind - 1 tsp

Potato Layer

Medium potatoes - 8
Hot milk - 1/4 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

Heat the butter and oil together in a karahi, non – stick preferred. Fry the onion and capsicum till the onion just starts to colour. Remove from heat.

Add the cooked rice, nuts, tomatoes, mince, egg, bread crumbs, paprika, fresh coriander, salt and lime rind. Mix well.

Place this mixture in a greased 9″/17 cm. greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degree F / 190 degree C.

In the meantime prepare the topping. Boil the potatoes till well cooked. Peel and mash while still hot. Add the milk and butter.

Remove the loaf from the oven. Cover top with mashed potato. Brush with a little milk. Dot with butter and grill till the top is golden. If you do not possess a grill, bake for another 20 minutes.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Variation

If you want a vegetarian loaf, use 1 cup nuts and 1/2 cup milk in place of the egg.

A most interesting dish imported from Iran. Not only a kabab – it is a full meal. The base is rice, cooked in butter. In Iran it is topped with a raw egg, here I have substituted a fried one. And the whole thing is accompanied by chicken kababs.

Rice

Basmati rice – 2 cups
Water – 7 cups
Pepper – to taste
Butter – 4 tablespoon
Eggs – 4
Solid butter – 4 tablespoon
Garnish 1 lime wedges and tomato slices.

Kabab

Finely chopped onions – 1 cup
Lime juice – 1/2 cup
Salt – 2 tsp
Legs – 4
Breasts of chicken – 4
Melted butter – 4 tablespoon
Pinch of saffron – 1

Rice

Soak the rice in salted water for 2 minutes. Boil 6 cups of water in a saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add the strained rice and cook uncovered for 6 minutes. Stir once in between. Strain the rice.

Boil another cup of water in the saucepan. Add the butter, when it melts add the cooked rice. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and lower the heat. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes on very low heat. You may keep a tawa underneath to avoid searching. The rice should be totally cooked and the moisture absorbed. Fry the 4 eggs separately. But the yolks must remain soft.

Kababs

Marinate the chicken with finely chopped onions, lime juice and salt for at least 2 hours, longer, if possible.

Heat the butter in a non – stick pan. Mix the saffron with a little water.

Take out the chicken pieces from the marinade and rub hulf the saffron butter well. Grill or bake in a tandoor, basting with the remaining butter. Cook till done, about 20 – 25 minutes in a tandoor.

To assemble

Divide the hot rice euqally between 4 plates. Make a small durt in the centre of the rice. Add 1 tbsp of solid butter and place a fried egg on top, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper, place 2 kababs by the side, one leg and one breast.

Garnish with lime wedges and tomato slices.

Variation

You may use seekh kababs in place of the chicken or alongwith it.

This biryani is an excellent example of the Chettinad cuisine. This particular cuisine reflects the rich life styles of the Nattukotai Chettairs, who haid from one of the driest regions of South India. A community of merchants, bankers and traders, the Chettairs travelled widely through South East Asia and imbibed a lot from the cuisines of Bruma, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Thus, Chettinad food takes in both non – vegetarian and vegetarian dishes and is characterised by the presence of red chillies, peppers, onions and coriander.

Rice

Basmati rice – 500 gm
Green chillies, slit – 4
A handful of mint
A handful of fresh coriander,
Ginger julienne – 1 tablespoon
Pinch of saffron
Fried onion – 1 tablespoon
Milk – 1 tablespoon
Melted white butter or ghee – 50 gm

Mutton

Ghee – 150 gm
Cloves – 4
Green cardamom – 4
Stock of cinnamon – 2.5 cm
Black cardamon – 2
Pepper corns – 10
Bay leaves – 2
Large onion – 1
Mutton – 750 gm
Salt – to taste
Ginger – garlic paste – 11/2 tablespoon
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Curd, beaten – 1/2 cup
Green chillies, slit – 4
Powdered mace – 1/2 tsp
gd nutmeg – 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Lime juice – 1 tsp
Finely chopped mint – 1 tablespoon
Finely chopped fresh coriander – 1 tablespoon
Fried onion – 1 tablespoon
Pinch of saffron
Stock – 750 ml.

Rice

Wash and soak the rice for half hour. Boil till 3/4 done. Strain and reserve.

Mutton

Heat the ghee in a degchi. Season with the whole garam masala, black cardamom, pepper corns and bay leaves. Fry for a minute till the spices change colour. Add the onion and fry till golden.

Add the mutton, salt and ginger – garlic paste. Stir well and cook covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and add chilli powder, coriander powder, curd, green chilli, mace, nutmeg, shahjeera, cardamom and pepper, stir frying after each addition.

Add the lime juice, mint, fresh coriander, fried onion and saffron mixed in 1 tablespoon Milk. Mix well and cook for a further 10 minutes on medium low heat, covered.

Add the stock, heated. Cover and cook till the mutton is done, approx.. 30 – 35 minutes. Take out the mutton and strain the stock, through a sieve, pressing well to extract maximum flavour.

To assemble

Take a heavy bottomed degchi. Make layers the following way : Line the degchi with 1/3 stock, then 1/3 rice. 1/2 of the mutton, slit green chilli, mint, fresh coriander, ginger julienne and fried onion.

Cover with 1/3 rice. 1/3 stock and te rest of the ingredients. Cover with the remaining rice and stock. Top with more mint, fresh coriander and ginger juliennes.

Finally, add the remaining stock, saffron – soaked in 1 tbsp. Milk and the melted ghee or butter.

Cover with lid, fixed with atta dough. Place a tawa underneath the degchi and put on dum for 30 minutes. If possible put some live coals on top also.

Break seal at the time of serving. Serve with a raita.

Orthodox cooks may revolt when biriani is cooked in a pressure cooker or rice cooker. But for the busy housewife this spells great success.

Basmati rice – 3 cups
Refined oil – 3 tablespoon
Ghee – 3 tablespoon
Bay leaves – 2
Large onions, sliced – 3
Green chillies, slit – 4
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves – 8 – 10
Mutton – 1/2 kg
Curd – 1/2 cup
Salt – to taste
Lime juice – 1 tsp
Kewra water -1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves, roasted nuts and 2 hard – boiled eggs for garnishing.

Grind to a paste

Garlic cloves – 8
Piece of gigner – 2.5 cm
Cloves – 4
Green cardamoms – 3
Stick of cinnamon – 2.5 cm

Wash and drain the rice. Heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and season with the bay leaves. When it turns a shade darker, add the onions and green chillies and fry till golden.

Now, add the ground paste, turmeric, mint and curd. Fry on a low heat. Add the mutton and fry stirring till the oil separates. Add salt and 3 cups of water and pressure cock for 8 – 10 minutes.
Let cool and open the cooker. Remove the mutton pieces and measure the stock. Top with water to measure 6 cups, that is twice the amount of rice.

Place the liquid in a rice cooker, add lime juice, kewra water, rice and mutton and mix well. Close cooker and cook according to the manufactures’ instructions. The biriani will remain piping hot till serving time.

Garnish with coriander leaves, roasted nuts, and sliced hard – boiled eggs.