How to Prepare Ramzan Biriyani
The arrival of Ramzan means that it’s time to prepare this delicious biriyani, traditionally eaten by Muslims during the month of fasting and dedicated to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This rich and hearty dish has many variations depending on the region of India or Pakistan in which it’s prepared, but some common ingredients remain the same. Let’s take a look at the steps required to make your own traditional Ramzan biriyani!
Ingredients required
250gms chicken, 2 cups basmati rice, 1 cup dhal and 2 onions. Ingredients needed: 3 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 red chilies, few mint leaves. Spices required: 4 cardamoms pods (green), 1 bay leaf (Tej Patti), half of cinnamon stick, 1 star aniseed, 1⁄4 cup cashew nuts, Salt for taste. Tools required: A pressure cooker or a pan and an oven tray with holes.
Step 1 - Clean and cut vegetables
Before preparing biriyani, cut all vegetables into small pieces. There should be onions, tomatoes, green chillies and potato pieces in large quantity. You can also add other vegetables like cauliflower and capsicum depending on your choice. Also make sure that vegetables are not hard as they will taste bitter if cooked hard. The vegetables should be light brown or pinkish in color without any black spots. Now wash them well under running water. Cut them into small cubes so that they get cooked fast later on during cooking time. Cut all ingredients into equal size pieces so that every piece gets cooked properly and are of same size when it is served at dinner table for lunch or dinner with friends and family members on Iftar (breaking of fast) during Ramadan fasting month.
Step 2 - Cook vegetables with yogurt and spices
In a deep frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Saute 1 finely chopped onion and 1 tbsp of minced garlic until soft. Then add 1/2 kg (1 lb) of chopped tomato, 1/4 tsp of red chilli powder, 2 tsp of ground coriander and 1 tsp each salt and turmeric. Stir fry until saucy but not mushy. Add 3 tbsp plain yogurt and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens to a gravy consistency. Add any extra water if needed. Remove from heat when done then set aside till required in next step...
Step 3 - Cook meat with spices and yogurt
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry meat. Then add spices, yogurt and cook it for five minutes on medium flame. This is how you prepare meat for biriyani. Keep it aside.
Step 4 - Cook rice
Cook basmati rice in advance and refrigerate. Cook meat: Marinate meat in salt, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, black pepper and yogurt with half cup of water for at least one hour before cooking. Be careful not to over-marinate as that may make the biriyani very oily. Heat oil on a pan and add marinated pieces of chicken or lamb. Cook it for 5 minutes on high flame and cover it for another five minutes before turning off heat. Sauté onions: In a separate pan, sauté finely chopped onions with three cups of water till they turn golden brown in color; don’t let them burn or stick at bottom of pan as that will alter their taste.
Step 5 - Mix everything together, garnish and serve hot
Cook rice in a pot of water over medium heat until it softens and is cooked through. Once cooked, discard cooking water and place rice in a mixing bowl with onion, ginger and fresh coriander (cilantro). Add vegetable oil, salt, black pepper powder, chilli powder and yogurt (note: adding all these ingredients together will result in a very runny consistency that you'll probably think won't work. Don't worry—it will). Mix thoroughly to combine. Garnish with fried onions on top and serve hot!
Unsalted food is like garbage
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