The smell of Biryani takes us back in time to the Silk Road when merchants traded silk, spices and other goods with neighboring empires. Biryani originated in Persia and travelled to India during the Mughal Empire (1526–1857) as a savory spiced rice dish made to sustain the army. It is made by baking a tightly sealed pot layered with basmati rice, tender spiced meat curry, dried fruits, nuts, and spices “braised in ghee.” As the Mughal Empire grew, so did the flavors of biryani. Each region across the South/Central Asian and Middle Eastern diaspora have ingredients unique to their land. In some places biryani is called pulao or pilaf. Our biryani is made with Saucy infused curry, smoked turkey neck, rich, nutty ghee drippings from our tandoori turkey. Each layer is generously studded with juicy golden raisins, cranberries, cashews and whole spices, then tightly sealed and baked in an oven until fragrant and tender. Biryani is the perfect holiday dish because it's a communal meal. The spicy dish unites flavors from different corners of the continent. And it’s made in a huge pot- so it’s always meant to be shared.
Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 2 hours
Biryani Base:
4 cups uncooked Basmati rice, rinsed and pre-soaked
½ tsp Saffron soaked in
¼ cup milk or half and half
1 cup Ghee
3 onions, sliced
2 tablespoons Garlic
2 tablespoons Ginger
4 tomatoes
1 tsp Mustard Seed
1 tsp Cumin seed
3-4 Cinnamon sticks
5 Cardamom pods, crushed (brown)
6 Cloves
5-6 Curry leaves, finely chopped
4 cups of broth
1 cup Golden raisins, cranberries and/or other dried fruit
1 cup carrots, Shredded
1 cup Cashews, almonds, pistachios or other nuts
Curry Marinade:
1 pound of Turkey necks or any other meat on bones (washed and clean)
¼ cup Acho chile powder
2 tablespoons Paprika
1 tablespoon Cumin powder
3 tablespoons Garam Masala
3 tablespoons Turmeric
1.5 cups Yogurt
½ cup dose of saucy vinaigrette
½ cup dose of saucy hot sauce
To Seal Your Pot: (If using oven method)
Quick dough made from 1 cup flour and ½ cup water
And/Or
Aluminum foil
Step 1:
Gently wash your rice 2-3 times and pre-soak in water and salt to taste for a minimum of 1 hour. (I like to soak mine overnight for extra fluffy results.)
Step 2:
In a large bowl, mix the spices, garam masala, yogurt, dose of saucy vinaigrette and hot sauce. Once fully incorporated, add meat to the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Step 3:
Heat a large, oven safe pot on high heat. A pot with a heavy bottom works best. If you do not have an oven, you can make this dish on the stove top with a pressure cooker/Instant Pot. Add a quarter cup of ghee/drippings and sear your marinated meat until a nice color forms on the outside. The meat will not be all the way cooked through. Set the remaining marinade aside, this will be cooked down into your curry.
Step 4:
Remove the meat and add another quarter cup of ghee or drippings. Fry the onions until translucent, then add the garlic, ginger, curry leaf and whole spices. Add the tomatoes, and cook down until the mixture begins to stick together into a ball.
Step 5:
Pour the remaining marinade into the pot and quickly mix. Then, ¼ cup at a time, slowly add the chicken broth to the mixture.
Step 6:
Bring the curry to a roaring boil, then simmer on low heat for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour over the cooked meat (in a separate dish.)
Step 7:
Time to begin layering the ingredients! Before you start, preheat your oven to 350° F.
In the same pot you’ve been cooking in, add another quarter cup of melted ghee to the bottom of your pot, followed by the pre-soaked rice. Sprinkle with an even layer of dried fruits and nuts, then pour your spiced meat curry. Repeat the layers until you are out of ingredients. (A minimum of 8 layers is ideal: ghee/drippings, rice, fruits & nuts, and meat curry, repeat.)
Add four cups of broth or water to your pot. Top with saffron soaked in milk.
Step 8:
Time to cook!
Oven method: Place your oven safe pot in the oven and cook for at least 30 minutes to an hour. It's time to seal the pot! Roll your pre-made dough into a thick snake and line your pot so that the dough creates an airtight seal when you shut the lid. You can seal your pot with aluminum foil instead. Skip this step if you are using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
Pressure Cooker/ Stovetop method: Seal the air tight lid and pressure cook on high for 5 to 10 minutes.
Instant Pot method: Seal the air tight lid and use the pressure setting and cook on high for 6 to 7 minutes.
Fluff your biryani, top with more ghee (for good measure), and enjoy. Bhang appetít!
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