Recipe: Biryani

Biryani is one of the most elaborately spiced dishes we make at home. It's like an ensemble opera and 100-piece orchestra in every bite: each flavor makes itself felt, but all of them work together. (And it's much better at home, so rather than order it at a restaurant, try this recipe or find a Persian/Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi/Malay friend who'll have you over when he's making some.)

You will find different variations of biryani along the route that Mughal travelers and merchants traveled long ago, from Iran to Malaysia. It's basically meat, eggs, and/or vegetables with intricately seasoned basmati rice. Since we don't eat meat, we most often make it with mixed mushrooms, mixed vegetables, salmon, or shrimp. (But, even as a non-meat-eater, I will say, lamb and goat biryanis seem to be what people really swoon over.)

It's best served garnished with some sliced boiled egg and sliced tomatoes, with some cooling raita and red onion salad on the side.

Mushroom Biryani (serves 6)

1" piece ginger, peeled, minced
5 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
a small pinch saffron
1/4 Cup warm milk
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms, crushed
2 black cardamoms (optional)
1" cinnamon stick
salt to taste
1 1/2 Cups brown basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
2 teaspoons oil
2 medium sized onions, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 tablespoon crushed peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin (seeds or powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium sized tomatoes, peeled and pureed
1/2 Cup yogurt, whisked
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 Cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 Cup fresh chopped mint
*15-20 medium sized quartered mushrooms

optional: a few drops of kewra (an aqueous extract of pandanus flowers)

*In place of the mushrooms, you could use any of the following: chicken, lamb, salmon, or other fish (cut into bite-sized pieces); shrimp (I recommend leaving the tails on for more shrimp-y flavor); or a mixture of vegetables (like diced carrots, chopped green beans, corn kernels, and cauliflower cut into very small, fine florets).

Soak the saffron in the warm milk and keep aside.

Bring 3-4 Cups water to boil with the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt and rice, then when it's boiling, reduce heat to the lowest and cover. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done and then remove from heat, keep covered, and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, stir fry over high for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the ginger-garlic and cook briefly. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, black pepper, cumin and turmeric. Stir-fry briefly. Add the pureed tomatoes. Cook another 2-3 minutes until fairly thick. Add the whipped yogurt, garam masala, and half the cilantro and mint. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring. Add the mushrooms and salt to taste. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes (if you're using something other than mushrooms or vegetables, at this point, cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat/fish/shrimp is cooked).

If you like your biryani drier, at this point, mix the almost-cooked rice and almost-cooked mushroom mixture together in a shallow, ovenproof dish, mixing in the remaining cilantro and mint and saffron milk. (More classically, people layer the rice, mushroom mixture, additional fresh cilantro and mint, and saffron milk; I like consistent mixing.) Cover, making sure to seal the dish, and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the cover for the last minute or so.

If you like your biryani more moist, mix the almost-cooked rice and almost-cooked mushroom mixture together in whichever dish will accommodate them both (for me, it's usually the pot I had the mushrooms in), mixing in the remaining cilantro and mint and saffron milk. Cover and cook on very low heat about 10 more minutes. Uncover and raise the heat to medium and cook a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, to evaporate some of the water.

For real dhaba flavor, sprinkle a few drops of kewra over the biryani.