Home » Cooking Tips » 16 Best Biryani Secret Tips Revealed

DEC 27, 2018 · MODIFIED: AUG 1, 2022 BY MARIAM SODAWATER · THIS POST MAY CONTAIN
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16 BEST BIRYANI SECRET TIPS

REVEALED
I'm leaking all my best Biryani secrets tips that I've learned from friends, and people
around me. Please give me a thumps up in comment if it helps.

Biryani is a feast and making it perfect is all about practice. These tips will help you
know where to start and which areas to work on to get that perfect Biryani rice.

W H AT I S B I R YA N I ?
It is South Asian rice dish, made with layers of aromatic rice, meat, fried onions and
yogurt and/or tomato. Ghee or oil is drizzled from topped and then the Biryani pot is
sealed for steaming or 'Dum'.

T Y P E S O F B I R YA N I

Biryani is so popular is South Asian communities that every region and every family
have their own version.

Biryani needs a type of meat or main ingredient like chicken, mutton, lamb, beef,
vegetable, fish , prawn, shrimps, meat balls (kofta), bone marrow (nalli) and more.
Many Biryani are named after the main meat or vegetable used. Like mutton Biryani,
Beef Biryani , fish Biryani, nalli Biryani etc.
Some Biryani are named after region in which it is developed like Sindhi Biryani,
 Bombay Biryani or Hyderabadi Biryani.

x
Few Biryani are named after spice blends used like Tikka biryani, Tandoori Biryani.
Pakistani
Chicken
Karahi
Tap here to
learnOther
more. Biryani are named after techniques used to make like Dum Biryani (steaming),
Potli biryani (spice bag).

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My city 'Karachi' is famous for its Biryani throughout the world. Biryani is served here
in almost every occasion. In fact, for most families Biryani is fixed on Friday Menu or
at least Sunday. I can't think of living without Biryani for more than 10 days. So that's
how dear Biryani is for Karachiites and me.

D I F F E R E N C E I N P U L A O A N D B I R YA N I
 Biryani rice are boiled first and then layered with meat, fried onions, stew etc.
Meat and rice cooked seperately and them assembled together before dum. (i will
explain 'Dum' later in the post.)
Biryani has white and yellow rice grains.
Some onions and korma gravy is also visible.

Pulao is completely different thing.

Soaked rice are directly added to pulao pot along with cooked meat, gravy, water
and everything cooks together.
Pulao rice grains are all of same color. The color depend on spices and ingredients
used.
B E S T B I R YA N I S E C R E T T I P S , N E V E R TO L D
BEFORE

1 . R I C E TO M E AT R AT I O

Having a general ratio of meat to rice before hand will keep you in pro position. You'll
never face that meatless only rice stage of biryani pot when biryani about to be
consumed completely. Sometimes, you have so much meat but everyone's asking for
juicy biryani rice .

G O L D E N R AT I O

For rice measurement simple rule is to take equal quantity of meat and rice by weight
i.e 1:1 ratio. That means 1 kg meat (chicken, lamb or beef) for 1 Kg rice.

F O R M E AT L O V E R S B I R YA N I

If you love meat then take 3 parts of meat and 2 parts of rice, i.e for 750 grams meat,
you’ll take 500 grams rice.
2. QUALITY OF RICE

Rice is main ingredient so quality of rice is very important, use basmati or other good
quality long grain rice.

A good Biryani should have separate but fully cooked long rice grains. Type of rice is
also significant, use basmati rice or sella basmati rice. Brown rice is good for pulao or
khichri but not Biryani. Actually, basmati rice absord a lot of water. So when you boil
rice in spiced water. Basmati rice grains absorb flavor and aroma adequately.
3. SOAKING RICE

Soaking raw rice before boiling let's the rice puff up completely. Basmati rice require
a minimum of 20 minutes soaking while sella rice requires about 45 minutes soaking
time. Always check the pack for cooking instructions.

4 . S A LT
Salt is most important taste enhancer in any food. If your rice lacks in salt, biryani will
lack completely in flavor. To know whether the salt is enough in water for boiling rice,
taste the water, it should have a soupy salt level.

Salt is most crucial in flavor of every food make sure you use salt in all steps;
marination of meat, making gravy and frying potatoes. But that's doesn't mean you
over do.

5 . T H I C K B OT TO M E D A N D W I D E S K I L L E T

Always use a wide and thick bottomed pot for Biryani. You can also put rice pot on
griddle/tawa if your skillet has thin base; to save rice that are at the bottom of pot
from burning. Keep the griddle/tawa under the skillet for re-heating biryani too.
Always re-heat biryani on medium or low flame.

6. COOKING TIME:

For perfect biryani look every grain of rice should be separate. The overcooked
meshy rice is nightmare for any biryani lover. Make sure rice are semi cooked about
70% cooked. After soaking, boil Basmati rice for 10 minutes or less. Always check for
visual signs.

One tip to test doness of rice is to mesh a grain of boiling rice between thumb and
finger to check doness. You should have two tiny 'Kani' bits of unmeshed rice left.
That is called '2 Kani chawal', and considered ideal for biryani. Rest of rice cooking
happens in Biryani pot where rice absorb flavours of meat and spices.

Cooking time can vary upon type of rice so checking the pack for instruction is best
way to know.

7. S P I C E D WAT E R F O R C O O K I N G R I C E

Biryani rice are flavored with spices and are full of aroma. This is attained by boiling
rice with whole spices and salt in large pot with plenty of water.

Best way to do this is boil water with salt and whole spices like cumin, cardamoms,
pepper, bay leaf etc. Stir well till you see a little change in color of water. Then add
soaked rice and cook for 10 minutes or less until rice are 70% cooked or reach '2
Kani' stage.
If you are new to Indian cooking you'll like next few tips. Whole spices like pepper,
bay leaves, cardamom are for aroma only, they release their juices and flavors in rice.
Do not bite them. Just put aside like you do with bones.

If you don't like whole spices in rice, you can also wrap these spices in a muslin cloth
to form a spice bag. Just remove spice bag before serving.

8 . M A K E A H E A D B I R YA N I K O R M A

You can make korma gravy of Biryani a few hour ahead or even a day ahead. In that
case the fried onions will puff up and soak water so add ¼ cup extra water or more if
gravy is too dry. Korma gravy should have thick juicy gravy. It shouldn't be dry.
9. BHUNNOFYING

There are different types of Biryani. Some Biryani call for making a rich korma gravy.
A delicious korma is one which is 'Bhunna' well. Some Biryani like Degi Biryani call for
frying meat with spices until color changes to golden. This is also 'Bhunnai or
'bhonofying'.

Bhonofying means cooking on high flame till most water dries and oil clearly separate
on sides of pot. This step is most crucial through out Pakistani cuisine. If you Bhunofy
it correctly, it will be finger linking good. Only problem for bhonofying is you need to
add a bit extra oil so it gravy or korma doesn't burn.

1. Dum ( steaming) | how to Dum Biryani on gas

Steaming is most important step of biryani making. When you assemble meat and
rice with other ingredients in biryani pot. The rice that are under cooked absorb the
gravy moisture. As the pot gets heated the moisture from gravy rises and form
steam. This steam needs to be trapped in the pot so rice puff up in this aroma filled
steam. This is called 'Dum' technique of biryani. To achieve this you seal the pot by
one of these ways.

For this either use a tight lid and put some weight on top (easy and practical method)
Cover pot with aluminium foil and then place lid (commercially used method)
Or seal the edge of pot with roti dough (traditionally used method)

The biggest secret is dum right before serving. Fresh biryani right after dum tastes
best, just like freshly baked cookies, you can't resist over eating.

1 1 . H O W TO F I X H A R D A N D D R Y B I R YA N I R I C E .

Now, we all have bad cooking days when you have under boiled or over boiled rice
below is the tips how to handle.

Hard rice

If your rice are very hard which mean they are under cooked when assembling the
Biryani pot, you can add extra water in dum to soften but remember the gravy also
has some water.

Soft rice

If your rice turn a bit softer or over cooked. Dry out your Biryani gravy also called
korma a bit and add little or no water in Dum (Steaming). Also don't leave Biryani for
very long on Dum.

1 2 . L AC K O F S P I C E S

If you don't have one or two spices like, bay leaves and black cardamom, its ok. You
can skip them. And use garam masala powder or chat masala or just extra green
chillies. Although, some spices like black cumin and saffron really change the aroma
and taste of biryani. But, if you have just few basic spices, like cumin, turmeric,
pepper and cinnamon etc you can begin Indian cooking with these.

13. FRIED ONIONS

Neither dark nor soggy; since, we use tons of fried onion in Biryani, if your onion
slices are over cooked, dark or burnt your Biryani will taste burnt and will have dark
stale color. If onion slices are under cooked and not golden, they will not be delicious.

One visual sign is as soon as your onion slices start to separate clearly in oil with light
golden color, they are ready.

Some recipes call for adding spices directly in fried onions without cooling or
crushing it so follow the recipe instructions.
 If directed in recipe lift them with a slotted spoon and dry over kitchen towel. Do
not crowd them, spread a thin layer of onion slices and let it get cool and crispy.
You'll get your perfect onions.

Another useful and general tip for frying crispy onions is onion slices should be very
thin. Deep fry onion slices in large pan or wok over medium flame.

Add ¼ teaspoon or less salt in oil. Always fry onion slices in small batches.
After onions slices start to separate like in above photo. Pick them with slotted spoon
and transfer over a strainer.

Shake the strainer to cool onion slices and shed any remaining oil lingering over it.
Transfer slices over kitchen towels to cool completely.
Now use as required in a recipe. They'll be crispy and you can crush them with hands.
You can store these in an air tight container for later use. Fried onion make great
garnishing over almost any Indian dish.

14. AMOUNT OF OIL

The oil, I use in my recipes is least possible with authentic flavors but real biryani
calls for even more oil or ghee. So be generous in oil when making Biryani. When
traditional mutton biryani is cooked, fat pieces (riwaj) are also added with meat for
meaty flavours and greasy moisture. This is 'degi' or 'Dhaba' Biryani secret tip.
1 5 . S E R V I N G E S T I M AT I O N .

Another important thing about Biryani is estimation. As Biryani is often made for
'dawat' or formal dinner having a correct estimation of meat to rice is critical.

Or how many kilograms of Biryani for a certain number people can really help
overcome stortage of food that is so embarrassing. Or wastage of food which is so
difficult to distribute or dump in the worst case.

Biryani made with 500 grams raw rice is enough for 6 average person, if it's a
single course meal.
And 500 grams rice biryani is enough for 8 people, if it’s a three course meal, 1
dessert, 1 savory dish with roti and 1 rice main course.
But these estimate need to be adjusted if all invited are youngster with large appetite
or oldies with small appetite.

One very old and traditional method of measuring rice for serving is a fist raw rice for
each person. 1 and half fist of raw rice for people with large appetite and ½ fist for
children. You measure rice according to invitee and soak rice. This seems crazy way
to calculate and quite secret way used by grannies but works very well.

If using above methhod, most of calculation of meat, onion and potato and other
ingredients are done with visual estimation. These advanced cooks only follow the
method of a recipe and don't care about measures. But this is advanced cooking
level, not recommended for newbies.
1 6 . A C C O M PA N I M E N T:

Indian / Pakistan food is all about combos. Raita ( yogurt sauce) is must with any
Biryani. A little effort will show high rewards in term of praises like 'wah' , 'maza
agaya'

Lastly, if it still isn't perfect. Remember, a pot of freshly steamed rice and meat along
with kachumber salad, raita and a few chutneys here and there can never be boring.
So that'll surly save the day.
A little common sense and bit of experience will make you pro biryani cook. Good
Luck and don't forget to give ?? in comment if you enjoyed the post.
P I N I T TO R E A D L AT E R !
Are you a pro Biryani cook? Share your tips in comment and help others. Check
my biryani recipes.

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COMMENTS

priya says

July 15, 2022 at 4:28 pm

Hi, I'm a beginner and tried few times

Could you please help me with how much oil or ghee I should use to make 1
KG Chicken biryani (as in 3 glass of rice and 1 KG Chicken).
The reason I'm asking is I feel my biryani gets little dry, no smooth texture or
oil content.

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

July 15, 2022 at 5:47 pm

Hey, you should give my Chicken biryani recipe a try which has very good
 reviews. I hope this helps.https://recipe52.com/pakistani-chicken-biryani-
recipe/

Reply

abhai says

April 06, 2022 at 2:49 pm

i need to know should we use same ratio of masala ingredients to cook 1 kg

and 10 kg of biryani, for that matter any dish?
for example if we use 50 gms of masala for 1 kg, in that case should we 500
gms of masala to cook 10 kg. and if not then how much to increase or reduce.

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

April 07, 2022 at 7:21 am

It should be the same, but just to be cautious you can hold back some
masala and add more after tasting. Like add masala for 9 kg in 10 Kg
biryani and add more after tasting. Remember few brands are very spicy
so do not follow their recommended quantity on packet blindly. Also,
remember that rice will undermine masala flavor so keep spice levels
higher than desired in the korma. I hope this helps.

Reply

Shubham says

July 02, 2022 at 2:28 pm

 I feel if it works for 1Kg then if managed properly then it should work in
case of 10Kg as well

Reply

rejaul islam says

January 06, 2022 at 6:15 am

nice recipe.It is helthy for us.

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

January 06, 2022 at 7:01 pm

Thanks a lot.

Reply

Sammy says

November 11, 2021 at 12:05 am

I make several versions of Biryani, and still decoding secrets from past 20
years.
Below are few tips from my side:
1) meat with bone and fat is very important. this adds that gamy flavor (slow
cook yields the best results, releases marrow and melts fat)
2) the yogurt we use is usually hung yogurt or thick
3) Cloves and Cardamom are the most important spice in biryani
4) i use ghee+oil equal ratio when making gravy. ghee has higher heating
point + fats
5) Javetri (mace)+cardamom powder, sprinkle when making chicken biryani
(during dum)
6) Javetri (mace)+nutmeg+cardamom powder, sprinkle when making goat
biryani
7) Use milk instead of water when making gravy
8) saffron should always be soaked in milk for atleast 20 minutes before
adding to dum process
9) you can use Kewra water + rose water to enhance flavors (commercially
they use Meetha Ettar)
10) royal dishes also use: rose petals (crimson), khus (Vetiver) root,
sandalwood powder, betel leaf root.. but these products are not easy to find.
11) mint, coriander, green chilly are not necessary for biryani. But ok for
masaledar(spicy) briyani

Happy Cooking!

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

November 11, 2021 at 10:55 am

Thanks a lot for sharing your detailed tips. It will benefit users for sure.

Reply

Najeeb says

March 20, 2022 at 4:26 am

Bhai dhoom tips hai yeah maza agayaa pad key definitely worth trying
Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

March 21, 2022 at 1:51 am

Thank you a lot for the dhoom comment.

Reply

Margaret Shukla says

March 23, 2022 at 1:56 pm

PUDINA+MUTTON, IS A MARRIAGE, MADE IN HEAVEN. PUDINA

ENHANCES ANY DISH MADE WITH MUTTON. PLACE BAY LEAVES AT
THE BOTTOM OF VESSEL, TO PREVENT BURNING OF BIRYANI. PRICK
AN ONION, WITH CLOVES,WHILST MAKING THE BIRYANI. USE
GRATED RAW PAPAYA, TO SOFTEN ANY MEAT. NEVER EVER FORGET,
TO USE DRIED APRICOTS, FOR EXCELLENT BIRYANI! THANK YOU,
DEAR MARIAM, FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS..

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

March 26, 2022 at 11:55 am

Thanks a lot, Margaret for amazing first-hand tips. This post

needs an update, I will definitely add your tips. Have a nice day.

Reply
 Shubham says

July 02, 2022 at 2:37 pm

Milk instead of water? replace water with milk in making gravy or just add
some amount of milk like in some ratio?

Reply

Anis says

September 01, 2021 at 8:12 pm

Fantastic! The best part was the significance of Bhunofying, it's like either
you get it or keep frying your brains. Without the essence of 'Nafasaat' and
'Lehza' biryani will just remain another dish for many. Taste of spices and oil is
what they will look forward to in Biryani.
Would be very helpful if you can provide ratios of rice: meat:potatoes: onions:
garlic ginger paste : oil: that goes into standard beef biryani preparation for a
dawat gathering of 50 guest.

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

September 02, 2021 at 7:43 pm

Thanks a lot, Anis for the suggestions. This post needs an update. I will
definitely provide more information in the updated post.

Reply
divya rani says

August 18, 2021 at 9:01 pm

Thank you for an excellent blog. The information you have given is very
interesting and helpful. Will definitely bookmark it!.

Reply

Mariam Sodawater says

August 20, 2021 at 7:02 pm

Thanks for the feedback.

Reply

Ismail says

May 10, 2021 at 4:42 pm

Very handy tips. I am a novice so your tips really helped me. Many thanks.

Reply

Recipe 52 says

May 17, 2021 at 2:48 pm

Thanks a lot for the lovely feedback. Don't forget to leave star ratings.

Reply
Neha Patankar says

May 04, 2021 at 10:02 pm

Amazing tips, u have put it lots of efforts & thoughts in this post. Keep up the
good work

Reply

Recipe 52 says

May 17, 2021 at 2:52 pm

Thanks a lot for the lovely feedback. Don't forget to leave star ratings.

Reply

L S Prasad says

March 21, 2021 at 8:04 am

Greate tips thank you!

Reply

Recipe 52 says

March 21, 2021 at 8:38 am

I’m really glad, they were helpful for you.

Reply
Sebastian says

February 03, 2021 at 11:42 pm

Hi great stuff,. Kindly make a mention of dum timing pls, it will be o f great
help

Reply

Recipe 52 says

February 04, 2021 at 12:05 am

Thanks for the suggestion, I agree that the post needs update. I’ll
definitely add Dum tips.

Reply

Pratim Karekar says

January 28, 2021 at 4:16 pm

Very nicely written. It is very helpful for begginers and reguler cooks also.
We are also 'Biryani Lovers'. I make biryani atleast one to two times a month.
I use little 5/6 strands of saffron, mixed in 1/4 cup milk, after making all layers
of biryani. Also I give smoke--(using 2/3 burning coals kept in small dish n
pour half tbsp.of ghee in dish,when smoke starts, I keep dish in pot and keep
lid on the pot. Thus your biryani tastes very very delicious

Reply
 Recipe 52 says

January 28, 2021 at 5:31 pm

Thanks for amazing tip Pratim. I’ve tried smoking biryani too and no doubt
it tastes amazing.

Reply

Farheen says

December 11, 2020 at 11:31 am

I've never ever commented on a blog before but I had to here. Awesome tips.
All very handy. Thanks a ton. I like how you've really said it all.

Reply

Recipe 52 says

December 11, 2020 at 11:32 am

Thanks a lot, you’ve made my day. #

Reply

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 Hi, I’m Mariam
Sodawater, a passionate
home chef dedicated to
sharing authentic South
Asian taste with simple
recipes and easy-to-find
ingredients. My motto is
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