Eid is here, which means that apart from the religious festivities, there is an abundance of good food waiting to be consumed. One special dish during the celebrations is the Eid ki biryani. This year, we decided to head inside the kitchen and get our cooking tips from the best people, moms. We asked 12 women to let us in on their secret to making a lip smacking biryani and, thankfully, they revealed all.
Whether you are planning on cooking it yourself or you are simply a fan of the tasty rice dish, here are the secret ingredients that make you lick your fingers in delight each time you indulge in a biryani feast.
“I uses badi ilaichi (black cardamom) along with other garam masala which adds taste and a good fragrance.”
Shaista Tawfiq Suleman
“Always have birishta handy (golden friend onion) to sprinkle inside the cooked biryani for that extra crunch.”
Munazza Hakim
“After layering out the rice, add saffron that has been dissolved in milk and cover the vessel. This gives it a rich aroma.”
Tahera Merchant
“I have a simple secret. I marinate the meat in ghee before I cook the biryani.”
Nelofer Mohibi Nizami
“Adding extra biryani masala to the regular mix always helps develop a richer flavour to the dish. I use Shaan’s biryani masala to make it tastier.”
Tahera Jamali
“Cooking the biryani in pure desi ghee instead of regular oil makes a whole lot of difference.”
Aasefa Hakim
“Jaiphal and javitri (nutmeg and mace) enhances the flavours of the masala in biryani. “
Zahabia Bakri Motorwala
“I add dried plums and fennel for richer taste.”
Arva Huzaifa Gebla
“Adding friend onions (birishta) is quite important for the taste. Also I include curd and some tomato purée to the masala mix.”
Salima Virani
“Methi seeds along with sabut (whole) garam masala and one tablespoon of corn flour to make the masala more consistent.”
Farida Talib
“Giving the biryani dum pukht (heating the food over low flame in a sealed container) is extremely important. Leave the biryani vessel on the coal, pour desi ghee over it, cover it and let the steam work its magic.”
Nadera Nizami
“I always use freshly made garam masala as that really bring out the flavor. Also badi elaichi (black cardamom) is a great way to add to the taste.”
Shehnaz Lakhani
