Hyderabadi Biryani

Recipe courtesy Mehboob Alam Khan

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (8)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(8)

Cook Time:
2 hr 0 min
Level:
--
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 50 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 2 hr 0 min
Total:: 2 hr 50 min

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Ingredients

2 pounds boned leg of lamb, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoons papaya paste (tenderising agent)
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons red chile powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
10 cardamom pods with shell
Refined peanut oil or sunflower oil, for frying
1 large white onion thinly sliced
5 tablespoons whole Greek yogurt
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green chiles, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
3 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron (or 10 threads fresh saffron) boiled in 1-cup milk for 5 minutes
Nan, 1 piece per person
Salad, as an accompaniment

Directions

Lay the lamb pieces in the bottom of a flat copper dish or Dutch oven. Add papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chile powder, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods. Mix the spices into the meat with your hands.

Heat 1-inch of refined peanut oil or sunflower oil in a saute pan to 360 degrees F. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry until light golden and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Reserve the oil. Crush the fried onions onto meat and mix with hands. Add yogurt and mix again. Add lemon juice, fresh herbs, and 2 tablespoons of the oil that is leftover from the onions. Cover and refrigerate for 40 to 45 minutes, for the flavor to develop.

While the meat is marinating, par boil the rice as if it were pasta in a 6 cups of salted boiling water. When the rice is still crunchy in the middle, remove from the heat and strain, reserving the cooking liquid. In a small bowl, mix the ghee with 2 cups of the water from the boiling rice and pour over the rice. Add the saffron and milk mixture to the rice and pour over the meat mixture. Place a lid over the dish, but do not remove it until completely cooked. Cook in a preheated 350 degree F, oven for 40 minutes. Serve with Nan bread and salad.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
Anonymous 03-07-2008
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Authentic Hyderabadi Biryani!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am from Hyderabad and have been looking for a recipe that comes close to my mom's traditional biryani. I made this and was... SHOCKED I could see my mom making it exactly the way he did. I didnt use the papaya paste (mom never did) and it turned out so good, my husband was so impressed and it came out so professional. When parboiling the rice you have to stand right there and keep checking it, it's not something you can just leave or the rice will end up too dried out. Great recipe, thanks foodnetwork for posting this!Read more
recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
Viquar Caledonia, IL 11-07-2006
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The Best Biryani Ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We have not only tried Hyderabadi Biryani several times but in fact miss All the excellent food dishes Nawab Mehboob Alam... Khan use to make when he invited my family when I was back in Hyderabad. My family ,friends and colleagues love it and cant wait to get a copy of this recipe to try on their own.Read more
recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
rj jamestown, HI 10-27-2006
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To much Liquid
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I am from hyderabad , and tried this recipie it has too much liquid and does not work do not even try it you are wating your... timeRead more
recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
Anonymous 03-04-2006
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Will give another try
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Made this recipe step by step with directions, but used brown basmati rice instead of white (trying to stay away from white... rice and bread). First, the flavor is wonderful, very authentic and one you won't get tired of eating. However, I believe I lost something in the substitution of white rice for brown. I cooked the rice til it was still crunchy in the middle, but even after mixing the saffon milk, ghee and water then putting in it into the over, the rice never fully cooked. I didn't want to overcook the dish and have the meat dry out, so I ended up with too much crunch in the rice, but otherwise perfect dish. I plan to make this again, in a couple of months and this time I will use white basmati rice. I can already taste the difference in texture and flavor.Read more
recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
cyrus stockton, CA 01-27-2006
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Hydrabadi Biryani
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have dozens of books on indian cooking. I have cooked Biryani all of my life but I could never get the consistancy because... I cooked it without the correct measurements. The rice either turned out mushy or raw. This time it was perfect.Read more
recipe Hyderabadi Biryani
minaxi atlanta, GA 09-22-2005
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very good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

the recipe is the original recipe and its very tasty....... just try it