Wikipedia On Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabad biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani is a Hyderabadi biryani dish made with basmati rice and goat meat. Popular variations use chicken instead of goat.^[1]

Hyderabadi biryani

Mirchi ka salan and Dahi chutney - Biryani Accompaniments

The blending of Mughlai and Andhra Pradesh cuisines in the kitchens of the Nizam, ruler of the historic Hyderabad State, resulted in the creation of Hyderabadi Biryani

Types

Hyderabadi biryani is of three types, the Kacchi (raw) Biryani,the Jappu (raw) Biryani and the Pakki biryani.^[4]

Kachchi gosht ki biryani

The kachchi gosht ki biryani is prepared with meat marinated with spices overnight and again soaked in yogurt before cooking. The meat is sandwiched between layers of fragrant long-grained basmati rice,^[5] and is cooked on dum (steaming over coals), after sealing the handi (vessel) with a layer of dough. This is a challenging process as it requires meticulous attention to time and temperature to avoid over- or under-cooking the meat.

Pakki biryani

In a pakki biryani, the meat marinating time is shorter, and the meat is cooked before being layered with the rice and cooked in a dough-sealed vessel. In Pakki Yakhni (with cooked gravy), the ingredients are already cooked before baking.

The gravy is redolent of mace, ittar and kewra. Saffron and cardamom are also used.

There is also a vegetarian version of the biryani, which is made from vegetables such as carrots, cashew, peas, cauliflower and potato.

Accompaniments

A biryani is accompanied with Dahi chutney (yogurt and onions); Mirchi ka salan^[2] - a green chili curry. It may also be accompanied by Bagare Baingan (Roasted Eggplant). The salad includes onion, carrot, cucumber, and lemon wedges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabadi_Biryani