Biryani's Ingredients

The dish is made with a rich sauce and a blend of aromatic spices, Basmati rice, and your choice of meat: lamb, chicken, or fish. It is also possible to make it with vegetables.

Rice, meat, marinade, and spices are the main ingredients in this dish. Basmati rice is widely available, but other grains such as seeraga samba and jeerakasala are also available. The type of protein will vary depending on where the biryani is made; coastal regions, for example, will include fish and shrimp, whereas inland areas may include chicken, goat, mutton, and beef (mainly buffalo, but if cow, would be outside of India).

The meat is usually marinated before cooking, and the most common marinade is yogurt-spiced, as the acid in the yogurt helps to tenderize the meat. The spices that give a biryani its complex flavor can be whole or ground, individual or in a spice blend (such as garam masala). The dish may include herbs and seeds, and it is frequently topped with caramelized onion, dried or fresh fruit, nuts, and fresh herbs.