What Is Biryani? Learn all about this flavorful dish, including the specifics of what it is, as well as where it came from.
What Is Biryani?
Biryani is an entire meal in one dish, although sometimes it is served with a yogurt-based condiment such as raita or even a relish made of tomato, onion and cilantro. It’s a rice based meal that is made by layering cooked rice and meat into a type of casserole before it is baked together in the oven. This dish usually features a variety of seasonings to make it a tasty meal.
Where The Dish Originated
Biryani originated in Persia, but is also commonly found in India, and across the Middle East today. It is great for crowds and therefore is a favorite dish at Bangladeshi wedding receptions, served for family dinners in India, and also found at dinner tables in Thailand.
How It Is Made
This dish is usually made with basmati rice, then combined with garlic cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, bay leaf, mint, coriander, ginger, and onions. The rice grains traditionally had variated colors of white, yellow and orange. This was from saffron milk which was drizzled across the top of the dish before it was baked. Doing this gave it the color as well as a slight saffron flavor. However, most of the time today, the color comes from food coloring since the price of saffron has increased so much.
What is Your Favorite Kind of Biryani?
Biryani is a dish that has a rice base and is topped with meat as well as many other seasonings. It has Middle Eastern roots and is still a staple of that region today. This dish is especially great for large gatherings because it includes everything you need, an all in one casserole. Give it a try today!
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