Biryani is like a relationship — there is a surprise in every bite! The spices, flavours and aromas are all so delightful. What makes Biryani such a relished dish is the long-grained saffron rice which has the aromas of cardamom, cinnamon, rosewater and kewra, and is peppered with chunks of delicately-flavoured mutton/chicken and sometimes also has an assortment of vegetables and potatoes.

Just like the cultural and geographical diversity of India, the varieties of Biryani are many like the masaledar Hyderabadi Biryani, the light and flavourful Awadhi/ Lucknowi Biryani, the subtle Kolkata Biryani, the mild Malabar Biryani, brown rice Bengaluru Biryani and the latest craze is Moradabadi Biryani.

We speak to a few chefs to know the secret ingredients and distinct flavours which makes each one of them so different from the rest.

Light and flavourful

Despite hailing from Delhi, India’s youngest celebrity chef Saransh Goila is a diehard fan of Kolkata Biryani. Goila, who is best known for hosting the TV show Roti Rasta Aur India and writing a book titled India on My Platter, has travelled the length and breadth of the country and has tasted every type of Biryani but his love for Kolkata Biryani is unparalleled.

“The egg and potato in the rice make for an interesting combination. The potato is not plain or boiled but is flavoured in an amazing way. The potato has a nice aroma and is cooked perfectly well. The Biryani is very similar to the Lucknowi style, but because of the potato it becomes different,” says Goila who had first tasted this Biryani in 2012 while he was travelling for his show.  

Goila, who owns Goila Butter Chicken restaurants in Mumbai, feels that Kolkata Biryani can be accepted more widely because it is light and more flavourful. “It is definitely more aromatic, while the Hyderabadi one is spicier. Though the spices are the same, it is the just ratio of spices that makes the difference. The Biryani masala has shah jeera (caraway seeds), dalchini (cinnamon), elaichi (cardamom) it has laung (cloves). The only thing that differentiates them is the colour. Lucknowi or Kolkata has a touch of yellow, while Hyderabadi is white. The garam masala, javitri (nutmeg) and jaiphal (mace), add value to the Kolkata Biryani, while kewra gives it the nice fragrance.”

The royal touch

For Biryani connoisseurs, Hyderbadi Biryani is the king of all Biryanis because of its spicy flavour and strong aroma. For Sachin Joshi, executive chef, Vivanta By Taj, Blue Diamond, Koregaon Park, Pune, who has worked both in Lucknow and Hyderabad, finds the Hyderabadi variety the most delicious. Says he, “Having worked in Hyderabad for a decade and having relished Biryani across Hyderabad in almost all the lanes and bylanes, Biryani joints and restaurants, my love for Hyderbadi Biryani is unfathomable.”

Hyderabad has two types of Biryanis, depending upon the technique of cooking. Kacchi (raw) Biryani uses raw marinated meat placed between layers of rice and then slow-cooked, resulting in supremely succulent mutton. There’s also the relatively quickfix —  Pakki (cooked) Biryani, where the meat and rice are cooked separately and then layered, like the Lucknowi one.

“It is a dish in which intricacies are involved in its preparation. The process of marinating the meat, the subtle aroma of garam masala and cooking the meat with half done rice is an art in itself which creates the perfect marriage of flavour, colour and taste in Hyderbadi Biryani. The taste, fragrance and attention to detail to perfectly cook the meat make it an irresistible dish. The flavours are more complex and robust as compared to Lucknowi Biryani. I personally like saffron, flavours of mint and coriander, Biryani masala which is pounded in kitchens and the meat flavour cooked with rice, hence my choice is Kacche Gosht Ki Hyderabadi Biryani,” says Joshi.

Common man’s Biryani

Moradabadi Biryani is my personal favourite — it is popular up North and all the way to the East. Originating in Moradabad, this street-side delicacy is the common man’s biryani and is a must have,” says chef Sabyasachi Gorai who owns Pune-based restaurant Mineority by Saby. He was recently on a Biryani trail across the country.

The Moradabadi Biryani is basically made of chicken or mutton stock with wholesome spices like dalchini (cinnamon), star phul (star anise), green chillies and lots of lime and there is no use of heavy masalas. Explaining how the Biryani looks and tastes, Gorai says, “It is creamy, cooked in a broad-bottomed vessel and a narrow top where the lid is not fully covered, unlike the Dum Biryani style. Since a large part of the cooking is in stock, it is not very spicy and is also accompanied with Red Chilly Chutney and Korma to suit different palates.”

Gorai, who can’t stop drooling over the taste of this light-flavoured Biryani, says he likes to use star anise, and whole lime with the peel and calls them his secret ingredients. “I also marinate the meat cubes for tenderness and use a lot of stock and ghee so that the rice is nice and fluffy, full and separate and doesn’t stick to each other,” says Gorai adding, “Lime and ghee are the keys to keeping the rice separate which also looks visually appealing. Serving a Biryani in the right way is as important as cooking it right. While serving, use a flat spoon from the side of the vessel to make sure you don’t break the rice because if you dig in from the middle, the rice might break for the next severing.”

Mumbai-based chef Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman, who is a descendant of Khansamas of the Wajid Ali Shah’s era and well-versed with the nuances of many regional variations of Indian cooking, also finds Moradabadi Biryani the most flavourful and says that its popularity has now come to the fore. “The rice and chicken are cooked together in an aluminum vessel and the interesting thing is that they serve Moradabadi Biryani with Chaat Masala and Tomato Sauce or Green Chutney since the Biryani is mildly spiced and uses whole spices,” says Rehman who has done extensive culinary research on the erstwhile North West Frontier province and Awadhi, Rampuri, Hyderabadi, Kashmiri (both Wazwan and Pandit versions) and Mughlai (old Delhi food) cuisines.

Moradabadi Biryani uses chicken and parboiled rice in its preparation, so it is comparatively cheaper than the other varieties. “It is among the most famous street foods of North India after Momos,” Rehman adds.