How is modern Biryani made?

In modern cooking, the strict definitions of Biryani have become blurred. Modern process ensures repeatable and predictable good quality results every time. The curry and rice are fully cooked separately. The process ensures that curries are fully cooked and flavorful, rice is flavorful and tender. Restaurants can use the same rice to make different types of Biryani by combining with different types of curry. The process consists of 5 steps.

Step 1 Make dry curry

This could be mutton curry, chicken curry, or vegetable curry. You may use left-over. The  curry may be spicy , mild or hot. I like red colors. I have used left-over Tandoori chicken, as well as left-over Rogan Josh. For Rogan Josh I removed most of the liquid and pan-fried it to make it dry.

The curry must be fully cooked and pan-fried for dryness.

Step 2 Make Rice

Always pre-soak rice in plenty of water for about 30 minutes to 2 hours. This increases heat conductivity for the rice to be fully cooked. We need fully cooked rice. Preferably, presoaked rice should be fried lightly in Ghee before adding fluids. This just coat the rice grain. You can use any liquids: water, Chicken stock, Beef stock, Vegetable stock. You may add aromatic spice to give it warm aroma. Saffron is added for color and aroma.

You should make sure that the fluids have about ¼ teaspoon of salt per raw cup of rice.

The rice should be fully cooked preferably with saffron in aromatic fluids

Step 3: Prepare a garnish

Fry thinly sliced onions to brown in Ghee. Toast Almond and Cashews in Ghee to brown. You may also include chopped cilantro, chopped fresh peppermint.

Step 4: Prepare Saffron milk

Warm milk and add saffron and cardamom. When cool stir in rose water, and Kewra.

Step 5: Layering

This is the finishing step also known as layering. Use a Dutch-oven to assemble as follows:

1. Put a a layer of rice

2. Put Curry layer on top of rice layer

3. Put another rice layer on top of the Curry layer

4. Add garnish to the top rice layer

5. Sprinkle saffron milk in a circular fashion.

6. Pour a small amount of melted Ghee in circular fashion.

7. Seal the Dutch oven with Aluminum foil. Put the Lid on the Dutch-oven. The aluminum foil just assures a tighter seal.  Preheated oven to 400º F. You want to bake till steam is built up. The steam temperature is 250ºF. After we have reached 250ºF, we can lower the oven to 275º F. This is the holding temperature. You should be able to hold Biryani for about 2 hours. Poke meat thermometer in the Aluminum foil to check temperature. If the probe is held steady above the Biryani in the steam, you need it to read 240ºF to 250ºF. If you are inserting probe in the Biryani itself, the temperature should be 165 to 180ºF. Do not remove foil to prevent steam from escaping. If you do not have a temperature probe, just bake for 20 minutes at 400º F oven setting.

Its ready to serve!