There are a few things you should keep in mind when making the perfect biryani.
- If you are cooking mutton biryani then make sure you marinate the mutton in yoghurt, salt and other spices for at least 6-8 hours, it helps the mutton soak in the spices well. Chicken does not need to be marinated for so long; two to three hours are enough.
- Traditionally papaya is seen as a good tenderizer for red meat. You can apply the papaya paste on the surface of the meat while marinating.
- Roasting and grinding your own biryani spices are always a better option than just the store bought and packed products.
- Rice must be a good quality basmati and aged at least 2 years. Soak it in water for 30-60 minutes before you boil them.
- While boiling the rice, add salt according to the water and not rice. Never cook your rice completely, just 70% is enough.
- Use a good proportion of water and ghee in the biryani. They will help keep the rice dish moist and delicious.
- People often over-cook their biryani which is a strict no-no. Once biryani is layered, cook on a high flame for 5 minutes and then on a low heat for 12-15 minutes. Mutton biryani will take almost 30 minutes to cook.
- Use ginger julienne, fresh mint leaves, chopped chillies, caramelised onions, ghee and dried apricot to give a beautiful flavour and fragrance to your biryani.
- Team your biryani with cooling and flavourful raita for the best experience. If you are pressed for time you can make a simple raita with roasted cumin powder, fresh coriander, a little chilli powder, sugar and salt.
