And what a huge family argument that was – we had to weed the garden for three hours this afternoon to get our team work back on track!
So, here are the five criteria we are going to rate the biryanis on. Each criteria will be marked out of 5. Sorry, if I sound like a school examiner, but this is serious business.
Rice grain separation
It goes without saying that Basmati rice should be used for the perfect biryani. And obviously each grain should be cooked such that it separates from the other grains. People who want a working demonstration of how this can be achieved or what this looks like should contact me for a master class.
Meat/Veg harmony
The meat/veg should be cooked to perfection, be exquisitely marinated, and taste as part of the whole. A huge problem in the rating system is actually articulating what a good biryani should taste like. A good biryani, like human existence, just is.
Look, I have gone all pseudo on you now!
Spice blend perfection
If I were on Masterchef, I would now start talking about how the flavours should roll off the tongue. And maybe they do – who knows? Suffice to say that no one spice should stand out on its own and overpower the biryani. Er, go figure / do the math etc.
Potato Content
OK, my arm was twisted here. This was put in there by you know who. Apparently the potato content has to be generous, the potatoes themselves have to be square or round and deep fried. It’s very important. Very. Important.
Fried Onion Finish
No biryani is complete without a deep fried onion garnish. All of us were in complete agreement on this thankfully – even the son who only eats onions when they are deep fried.
So there we are… but wait, I have left out something.
The Wet/Dry Index.
Who am I kidding? To me this can make or break a biryani. But what is it?
Again, very difficult to articulate. A good biryani should be neither too wet nor too dry. It should be, you guessed it, just right.
Biryani perfection here we come!
Yes – there are many variables and any one of them must be hard to achieve high rankings for, so this indeed will be a quest to end all quests. I think it could be nigh on impossible. Why do I say this? I ate a lovely dish of mushrooms cooked in cumin with garlic at Poornima’s who told me how she prepared it. How simple! What could go wrong? Only three ingredients and a bit of frying. But there were so many variables I hadn’t considered – for example 1) I had too many mushrooms for the pan which was non-stick (yes I am blaming my tools), 2) I wasn’t sure how much cumin to use 3) Timing is everything! And the cumin was cremated. It was a poor cousin to the original that had so inspired me. At least my daughter was appreciative, but I was not impressed and could do with some advice. Any tips? As you can imagine, it will be a long time before I attempt a biryani
Hi Lisa, thanks for this! I am now going to start a recipe section on the blog where dishes such as your favourite cumin mushrooms will be featured. I will feature easy-to-make-Indian food that I normally make at home when I am rushed for time and my mum’s not around. So watch this space.