Hyderabad biryani is a popular Indian dish made with rice, spices, and meat cooked in a special pot. There are two types of biryani, kacchi and pakki, both requiring a long cooking time. The meat is marinated in yogurt and spices before being layered with rice and spices in the pot. The finished dish is served with yogurt and fried onion curry or Indian bread.
Hyderabad biryani is one of the most popular versions of biryani across India and is named after one of the country’s iconic cities. It’s made with rice, a long list of spices, and meat that’s layered and then cooked in a special pot. The cooking style and ingredients are different from most other types of biryani found in the rest of the Middle East and Asia. There are two different ways to make Hyderabad biryani, one which involves cooking everything together in a single pot, and the other which involves pre-cooking the meat and rice before they are put together in the final cooking pot. The finished dish is usually served with yogurt and fried onion curry or Indian bread.
There are two types of Hyderabad Birderans, both of which are equally popular. The former is known as kacchi biryani and is made by placing raw marinated meat and spices in a pot and cooking them together. The other version is known as pakki biryani and is made by combining cooked meat and rice in one pot, allowing both to finish cooking at the same time. Both types require a long cooking time in the final pot, giving the dish its distinctive flavour.
The type of meat used in Hyderabad biryani is traditionally goat, lamb or beef, although chicken has become popular. The meat is first marinated in a mixture of yogurt, cardamom, turmeric, garlic and ginger for anywhere from a few hours to overnight. Holes can be poked into the meat to allow the marinade to seep inside. A classic marinade ingredient is papaya paste or diced papaya leaves that act as a meat tenderizer.
Be it the pakki or kacchi variety of Hyderabad biryani, the ingredients are finally transferred to a large heavy pot called a deksha. The meat is placed in the pot and covered with a layer of basmati rice and spices such as star anise, cinnamon, cumin and whole black pepper. Layering can continue until all ingredients are used, after which water or broth can be added to increase the amount of steam and moisture created during cooking. The lid of the deksha is sealed with a basic kneading line to ensure no steam escapes.
After several hours of cooking, Hyderabad biryani is ready to serve. The meat is usually moist and falling apart at this point, while the rice should be cooked perfectly and flavored with the taste of the meat and spices. Biryani can be served in a dish along with any number of curries.
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