Saturday, September 4, 2010

Indian Food: The Great Flavor Of Chicken Biryani

By Roland Dsouza

Biryani is a dish that is prepared using Meat and Rice, layered and cooked along with some spices... It is derived from the Persian word 'Birian' which implies roasting before cooking.

Biryani stemmed from Persia and the legend has it that the nomads and tribals carried a lot of rice and meat on their extended trips and they developed the custom of layering meat and rice and cooking together after sprinkling ample nuts and dry herbs. The conventional approach consisted of cooking and simmering the mix 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

Nowadays there are numerous forms of Biryani prepared using numerous diverse cooking styles. There are probably more than a hundred varieties of Biryani prepared using various combinations of meat and vegetables.

Biryani has Rice and Meat as its central ingredients. The rest of the ingredients, differ depending on the variety and style of the Biryani being cooked.

Hyderabad in India is known as the Biryani capital of the world. There are fascinating kinds of Biryanis cooked here at various restaurants. Some of those recipes are intimately guarded by restaurants and families, as they have been handed down through quite a few generations. The Mughals brought Biryani with them when they invaded India. It is one of the many influences that came to India with the Mughals and became very famous here and with time have further evolved. It also took on some local flavors to suit the spice loving Indians.

A tasty Biryani consists of well cooked meat and the right mix of spices and herbs, baked together with rice. The meat and rice is never mixed whilst cooking. They're both cooked separately. The last phase of the cooking consists of layering the two alternatively and usually cooked either in an oven or on traditional wood fire, using gentle heat.

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