Biryani
Hyderabad and Biryani go hand in hand. Anyone who comes to Hyderabad does not want to leave without tasting the delectable Biryani. Many claim in Hyderabad to serve you the best Hyderabadi Biryani, but you need to be in right place and in right environment to have good experience.
If you go out to taste some continental dishes, it is usually served in some of the posh or 3 star restaurants having good ambience, decent service, and clean premises. Where as Biryani is served at all kinds of restaurants with various levels of ambience, service, and cleanliness. It is also available at comparatively cheaper rates. Hence, in order to enjoy a good biryani, you need proper guidance to find right place to get Hyderabadi Biryani.
Traditionally, Biryani in Hyderabad always meant mutton Biryani. Even today at many homes in Hyderabad, the biryani that is prepared is a mutton Biryani.
The basic ingredient of Biryani is Basmati rice. It also consists of variety of spices that gives it its taste and includes ghee, ginger, onions, and garlic. For non-vegetarian Biryanis, besides rice the main component is meat i.e. it may include chicken, mutton, lamb, fish etc. The Biryani is served with Mirchi ka Saalan (Green Chili in brown gravy), dahi chutney (curd & onions), and onion salad with some lime pieces. The Biryani can be broadly classified into two types viz., the Pakki Biryani and Kutchi Biryani which is also called Dum ka Biryani.
It is traditionally prepared in a large conical vessel called ‘Deksha’ or ‘Hundi’ on steam. In Pakki Biryani, both the meat and rice are cooked outside and later mixed together whereas in Kutchi Biryani both the marinated meat and rice are layered together inside the deksha and then cooked together in steam. The mouth of the deksha is sealed with dough to prevent escape of steam.
The Hyderabadi Biryani evolved after combination of Mughlai and Telangana cuisines. The unique variety of Hyderabad Biryani evolved due to experimentation of flavours in it by the chefs of Nizam. There are two types of Hyderabadi Biryani, the Kutchi gost ki Biryan and Pakki Biryani. But the authentic Hyderabad Biryani is the Kutchi gost ki Biryan served with ‘Mirchi ka Salan’, dahi chutney, and onion salad with lime pieces.
Hyderabadi Biryani is different from its counterpart the Awadi Biryani of Lucknow as the former is a Kutchi gost ki Biryan or Dum ka Biryani while the latter is a Pakki Biryani.
The use of tamarind in making the Mirchi ka Saalan shows the influence of local Telangana cuisine and the unique nature of Hyderabadi Biryani.
Astoria-Best Biryani Restaurant at RTC X Roads
What’s your program for this weekend? Is it to have authentic Hyderabadi Biryani and watch a Telugu movie? Then head to RTC X Roads, you can find a couple of good Biryani restaurants along with a number of theatres screening Telugu (sometimes Hindi and English) movies. Astoria and Bawarchi are the two famous Biryani restaurants... »
Paradise Persis – Best Biryani Restaurant in Hyderabad
Hotel Paradise Persis at the Paradise circle in Secunderabad (forms part of Hyderabad – north of Tank Bund lake) is the best restaurant to relish the Biryani in Hyderabad. Offering a rare combination of authentic hyderabadi biryani served in a place with good ambience with good service from the staff. Plus, the... »
Authentic Hyderabadi Biryani
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