The First Biryani Is Charred, Smoky Heaven | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History

Sohla cooks up a classic biryani recipe from the 1500s that is a big part of her ancestral heritage! This spice-filled dish was brought over by the Mongols to the Indian subcontinent. Learn more in this episode of Ancient Recipes.

THE RECIPE

For the marinade:
1 cup whole milk yogurt
½ cup lightly packed chopped mint leaves
½ cup lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
¼ cup garlic-ginger paste
4 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons toasted & ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 pounds bone-in goat meat, cut into 2-inch pieces (shoulder or leg)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, mint, cilantro, garlic/ginger paste, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt until well combined.
2. Add goat and toss to evenly coat in marinade.
3. Cover and chill at least 4 and up to 12 hours.

For the rice:
4 cups aged basmati rice (preferably sella basmati)
4 quarts water
4 bay leaves
1 cup kosher salt

1. Place rice in a medium bowl. Cover with cool tap water, use your hand to gently agitate the grains, and drain.
2. Repeat at least 2 more times until water runs clear enough to see your hand through it.
3. Cover with cool tap water and set aside to soak for 15 to 30 minutes.
4. In a large stock pot, bring the water, bay leaves, and salt to a rapid boil.
5. Drain the soaked rice.
6. Add drained rice all at once to boiling salted water. Initially the water will stop boiling and the rice will sink to the bottom. Stir a few times with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, then stop stirring.
6. After a couple of minutes, the water will return to a simmer and a few grains will begin appearing near the surface. The rice is ready to drain when the grains have nearly doubled in size, the water returns to a boil, and most of the rice rapidly bubbles to the surface.
8. When you bite into a grain, you want to see a hard white core; just like pasta cooked al dente, the grains should remain firm. Depending on the quality of your rice, this can take anywhere from 3–7 minutes, so begin tasting the grains early. Drain rice and rinse with water until cool.

For the assembly:
½ teaspoon saffron threads
pinch kosher salt
¾ cup ghee
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
¾ cup lightly packed chopped mint leaves, divided
¾ cup lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems, divided
Chapati dough (to seal)
½ teaspoon mastic
1 piece coal
1 teaspoon ghee

1. In a small mortar and pestle, grind the saffron with a pinch of salt until fine. Add 2 tablespoons hot water and set aside to steep.
2. Cook onion and ghee in a biryani pot over coals, stirring constantly, until onions are lightly golden.
3. Turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to a plate. Scoop out half the ghee and reserve.
4. Return pot to coals. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and caraway and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add goat meat and all of the marinade and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Take off coals.
5. Spread goat mixture into one even layer. Sprinkle over half the chopped mint and cilantro. Top with par-cooked rice, spreading it into one even layer.
6. Sprinkle over remaining chopped mint and cilantro, reserved fried onions, drizzle over remaining ghee and steeped saffron. Drizzle over ½ cup of hot water.
7. Poke 5 to 7 holes into with rice with the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Tuck a small aluminum dish into the rice. Light a coal over the flame of a burner and place in the dish. Add 1 teaspoon of ghee and immediately cover the pot and seal with chapati dough.
9. Place the biryani over coals for about 2-2 ½ hours. Let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour before opening.
10. Before serving, grind the mastic in a small mortar and pestle and dissolve with 1 tablespoon hot water. Pour over the rice, then dish out the biryani

#HISTORY #AncientRecipes

CREDITS

Host
Sohla El-Waylly

Created By
Brian Huffman

Executive Producers
Sarah Walker
Brian Huffman
Jon Erwin

Executive Producer
Sohla El-Waylly

Co-Producer
John Schlirf

Writer
Jon Erwin

Historian - Scripts
Ken Albala

Post-Production Supervisors
Jon Erwin
John Schlirf

Editors
Jordan Podos
Aaron Mackof

Colorist
John Schlirf

Mixer
Tim Wagner

Manager, Rights & Clearances
Chris Kim

Executive Creative Director, A+E Networks
Tim Nolan

VP, Marketing Production, A+E Networks
Kate Leonard

VP, Brand Creative, History
Matt Neary

Music Courtesy of
Extreme Music
A+E Signature Tracks

Additional Footage & Photos Courtesy of
Getty Images
Alamy
Pond5
Wikimedia

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The First Biryani Is Charred, Smoky Heaven | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History
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