Hyderabadi biryani
Hyderabadi Biryani is a popular non-vegetarian variety of Biryani. It is a traditional celebration meal made using goat meat and rice and is the staple of a die-hard Hyderabadi. The Hyderabadi Biryani is so named as it is seen mainly in the city of Hyderabad, India. The blending of mughlai and andhra cuisines in the kitchen of the Nizam (ruler of the historic Hyberabad state), resulted in a dish called the Hyderabad Biryani. It, like other biryanis, is made using Basmati rice which is only found on the Indian subcontinent. The spices and other ingredients remain the same, however the method of preparation involves more time.
There are 2 styles of preparing this variety. The Katchi Biryani is prepared with the Katchi Yakhni method (with raw gravy). The raw meat is marinated in curd and cooked only by the dum, or the baking process, which is done with rice. This is a challenging process as it requires meticulously measured time and heat to avoid overcooking or undercooking the meat. In Pakki Biryani, where the meat is cooked with all the accompanying spices and then the rice is simmered with the resultant gravy redolent of mace, ittar and kewra in a sealed vessel with saffron and cardamom. It is accompanied by side dishes like Mirchi ka Salan, Dhansak and Bagara Baingan.
It is usually accompanied with Dahi ki Chutney, Raita (a yogurt dish) or Mirchi ka Salan.
The meat used in the preparation is usually mutton (goat), beef - popularly called Kalyani Biryani - or chicken.
There is also a vegetarian version of the Hyderabadi Biryani in which the place of the meat is taken by a mixture of vegetables such as carrots, peas, cauliflower and potato. The vegetarian version requires meticulously measured time and heat to avoid overcooking or undercooking.
In Pakki Yakhni (with cooked gravy), the ingredients are already cooked before baking.