Indian Cuisine ↗
Lucknowi Biryani
लखनवी बिरयानी/LUCK-nuh-vee beer-YAH-nee/
Also known as: Awadhi Biryani, Lucknow Biryani, Lakhnavi Biryani
About this dish
A delicate, fragrant biryani of meat and rice cooked in the dum style, flavoured with saffron, rose water and kewra.
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Ingredients
🐑750g lamb or mutton on the bone
🍚500g basmati rice, soaked
🥛200g yoghurt
🧅3 onions, sliced and fried
🌿Whole spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, mace
🌸Saffron in warm milk, rose water and kewra water
🧈Ghee
Method
Serves 41
Cook the meat with whole spices, ginger-garlic and water until tender, keeping the stock (yakhni).2
Stir in yoghurt and fried onions and simmer to a light sauce.3
Par-cook the rice in the stock until 70% done.4
Layer the meat and rice in a heavy pot, add saffron milk, rose water, kewra and ghee.5
Seal and cook on a very low heat (dum) for 25 minutes, then rest and serve.✓ What Makes it Authentic
Lucknowi or Awadhi biryani is lighter and more aromatic than Hyderabadi biryani; the meat is cooked first in a stock and then layered with rice.
Other Types of Biryani
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