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Ask anybody their top dishes and biryani will undoubtedly be one of their answers. While the dish was borrowed from the Persians, and how it came to be in India continues to be a hot topic for debate, the aromatic preparation has taken many regional forms. If you are keen to know what those are, here's a list of the types of biryani available around India.
There are two types of Hyderabadi Biryani—pakki (cooked) and kacchi (raw), believed to have originated from the kitchen of Hyderabad's Nizam. To prepare pakki Hyderabadi Biryani, basmati rice and meat are cooked separately and then layered together. Whereas, for kacchi Hyderabadi Biryani, raw marinated meat (chicken or lamb) is placed between the layers of basmati rice infused with saffron, onions, and dried fruits. Both are slow-cooked in a dough-sealed earthen pot over a charcoal fire, resulting in rich, aromatic, and flavourful biryani.
The Lucknowi Biryani, also known as the "Awadhi biryani," has a unique way of cooking called dum pukht. The meat or chicken is partially cooked separately from the rice, which is flavoured with saffron, star anise, and cinnamon. The meat is layered with rice in a deep-bottomed vessel called a handi, and the mixture is cooked for several hours until the flavours deeply penetrate the dish. This results in a soft and mild-flavoured Lucknowi biryani that is sure to please your taste buds.
As the name suggests, Sindhi Biryani originated in Sindh province, which is now part of Pakistan. This biryani is made using a generous amount of chopped chillies, roasted spices, mint, coriander leaves, onions, nuts, dried fruits, and sour yoghurt. The combination of these ingredients gives the biryani a piquant and aromatic flavour. To further enhance the taste, plums and potatoes are also added to the dish.
The Kalyani Biryani, also known as the "Poor man's Hyderabadi biryani," is believed to have originated in Bidar city, Karnataka. This flavourful and tangy biryani consists of buffalo meat and a variety of spices, coriander, and tomatoes. Although it doesn't contain the same ingredients as the popular Hyderabadi biryani, it still has the same delicious taste and pleasant aroma.
Dindigul Biryani is a popular dish that can be found in various outlets throughout Chennai. It derives its strong and tangy flavour from a blend of curd and lemon, mixed with cubed mutton or chicken and jeera samba rice. Additionally, a generous amount of pepper is added to give it a zesty flavour.
While the Kolkata biryani has attained a fan following of its own, it can be traced back to the Awadhi style biryani of Lucknow. It is characterised by the same subtle flavour and the minimal use of spices. Like it, the meat is layered between beds of fragrant rice. However, it also features additional ingredients, such as boiled eggs and potatoes.
Ambur Biryani is an unmissable travelling experience in itself when visiting Tamil Nadu. Originating from Ambur, this biryani, unlike other variations, has meat (chicken or mutton), but what makes it different is the use of a short-grain rice variant called seeraga samba rice instead of basmati. The meat is soaked in curd and flavoured with coriander and mint, and then added to the cooked seeraga samba rice, along with other spices. Savouring it with brinjal curry, ennai kathirikai, is the best way to enjoy the dish.
This biryani, which originates from the Malabar region, particularly Kerala, is both sweet and spicy. The variety of biryani in this region is as diverse as the different cultures and ethnic groups within. The Thalassery Biryani, for instance, uses Khyma or Jeerakasala, an indigenous variety of rice, instead of the traditional basmati rice. Other ingredients in this biryani include Malabar spices, meat or chicken, fried onions, fennel seeds, and sauteed cashews and raisins. The Khyma is cooked separately from the meat and is only mixed together during serving.
