Hyderabadi Biryani (Spicy Rice)

Hyderabadi biryani

?Indian javitri

Biryani is made by cooking basmati rice in a rich sauce of yogurt, ghee, and meat (although vegetarian versions are also popular). The mixture is seasoned with a wide range of spices including ginger, cinnamon, mace, cloves, cardamom, mint, and saffron. Hyderabad’s cuisine is known for being extremely spicy, so this version differs from northern versions in that respect. Recipe Servings: Serves 6

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

55 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

2 lb (907 g) lamb
1 tsp (5 ml) ginger paste
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic paste
1 tsp (5 ml) green chili paste
1 tsp (5 ml) red chili powder
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp (7.5 ml) cardamom powder
4 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cumin seeds
4 cloves
Pinch of mace powder (javitri)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) mint leaves
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
1 cup (240 ml) yogurt
4 Tbsp (60 ml) ghee
1 1/2 lb (675 g) semi-cooked rice
5–6 saffron strands
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 cup (120 ml) cooking oil
1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt

Directions

Clean and cut meat into pieces.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and fry onions until golden brown.
Add meat, salt, ginger, garlic paste, red chili powder, green chili paste, cardamom powder, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves, mace, mint leaves, and lemon juice and mix well.
Add yogurt, ghee, rice, saffron, water, and oil and mix well.
Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes over medium heat.
Serve hot. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs and serve with sliced carrots and cucumbers on the side.