A plate of steaming biryani with perfectly cooked meat that falls apart at one touch, served with a spicy masaledar salan on the side – that is what makes Hyderabad’s biryani mouth-wateringly delicious
and earned it its spot on TasteAtlas’ top 50 best rice dishes in the world. In fact, it is the only Indian rice-based dish to have earned a spot on the list at number 10.
Interestingly, Japan had the most number of dishes mentioned in the list, with its Negitoro don ranking number 1. This Japanese ‘rice-bowl dish’ is super popular and is made up of fatty minced raw tuna (toro), chopped green onions (negi), and served over a bed of warm Japanese rice. A variety of sushi, such as otoro nigiri sushi, chutoro nigiri sushi, maki, nigiri, aji nigiri sushi, and more, made the list.
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This biryani is vastly different from the other types relished across the country, as it can be made raw, aka kachchi, where the rice and meat are cooked together. According to a report by the popular food and travel guide. “It is said that Hyderabadi biryani’s richness of flavour is due to the unique process of cooking raw rice and raw meat together with exotic spices, unlike other places where meat and rice are cooked separately.”
Hyderabadi biryani can also be cooked the traditional way, or Pakki, where the meat that’s been marinated with spices and the rice are cooked separately. They are then layered alternatively and placed on dum to create a dish that takes a shorter time to cook and creates a biryani that has distinct flavours.
Netizens react to the announcement
Sharing their excitement to see an Indian dish featured in this exhaustive global list, several social media users expressed their joy. One user wrote, “Im not even indian but for me Biryani should be #1”.
However, some social media users weren’t too happy with the ranking and wrote, “Take Biriyani to the first place or be ready for a battle”, and another commented, “Biryani ranked at 50 is diabolical”. Another user wrote, “Biryani way too low”.
If you want to celebrate this feat, here’s a recipe for a delicious mutton Hyderabadi biryani by Chef Natasha Gandhi:
Recipe for Hyderabadi Biryani
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Preparation of Biryani Masala
Ingredients:
• Coriander seeds: 1/4 cup
• Shahi jeera: 1 tbsp
• Black peppercorns: 1/2 tbsp
• Anardana: 1 tbsp
• Nutmeg: 1/2 piece
• Mace: 2 pieces
• Green cardamoms: 10 pcs
• Cinnamon sticks: 2 pcs
• Black stone flower: 3 tbsp
• Bay leaves: 3 pcs
• Star anise: 2 pcs
• Cloves: 10 pcs
Method:
1. Dry roast all spices.
2. Allow them to cool.
3. Blend into a fine powder.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
First Marination of Mutton
Ingredients:
• Mutton: 1.5 kg
• Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Yogurt: 1 cup
• Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
• Ghee: 1/8 cup
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients with mutton.
2. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Second Marination of Mutton
Ingredients:
• Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Yogurt: 2 cups
• Slit green chilies: 2 pcs
• Birista (fried onions): 1/2 cup
• Mint leaves: 1/4 cup
• Spicy red chili powder: 1 tbsp
• Red chili powder: 1 tbsp
• Biryani masala: 2 tbsp
• Green cardamoms: 5 pcs
• Cloves: 4 pcs
• Cinnamon stick: 1 pc
• Salt: To taste
Method:
1. Mix the ingredients into the first marinated mutton.
2. Let it marinate for an hour.
Rice Preparation
Ingredients:
• Basmati rice: 1 kg
• Water: As required
• Shahi jeera: 1 tsp
• Black cardamoms: 2 pcs
• Green cardamoms: 3-4 pcs
• Long pepper: 3-4 pcs
• Cinnamon stick: 1 pc
• Cloves: 3-4 pcs
• Salt: To taste
Method:
1. Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes.
2. Cook rice with water and spices until 90% done.
3. Drain excess water and set aside.
Layering and Cooking
Ingredients:
• Ghee: 1/8 cup
• Oil: 1/8 cup
• Saffron: 1 tsp (soaked in 5-6 tbsp milk)
• Birista: 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves: 1/8 cup
• Rose water: 1 tbsp
Method:
1. Heat ghee and oil in a large kadhai.
2. Add marinated mutton as the base layer.
3. Layer the cooked rice over the mutton evenly.
4. Create holes in the rice and pour the saffron milk + cardamom powder (1 tsp) mixture into them.
5. Top with birista, mint leaves, and rose water.
6. Cover tightly with foil, place a heavy object on top, and cook on dum (steam):
• High flame: 15 minutes
• Low flame: 30-35 minutes
7. Open the lid once the mutton is tender and the rice is cooked.
Recipe by Chef Natasha Gandhi (@natashaagandhi)
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