Eid Mubarak | What's Eid without biryani? Check out 8 recipes from India's top chefs

If ever there is criticism against a dish with a culinary history of hundreds of years, the loudest is from health-conscious fitness enthusiasts who say it is carb heavy since it contains basmati rice, oil and red meat. If you want to keep a tab on your calorie intake, here's a recipe that'll suit you perfectly fine: white rice instead of brown and olive oil in place of ghee. There's more. "To make it enriched with protein, we have only used the white portion of the egg," says Chef Manish.

Serves: 4

Size per portion:350 gm

Ingredients: 200 gm brown rice; 12 eggs; 2 gm mace: 100 ml Olive oil; 5 gm green cardamom; 5 gm cumin; 4 gm cloves; 2 gm bay leaves; 4 gm cinnamon stick; 250 gm onion; 150 gm yoghurt; 50 ml milk; .5 gm saffron; 20 gm black salt; 100 gm coriander leaves; 40 gm garam masala powder; Salt to taste; 40 gm cumin powder; 40 gm biryani masala; 20 gm red chilli powder; 10 gm turmeric powder; 10 gm coriander powder; 20 gm ginger; 20 gm garlic; 10 gm green chilli; 15 ml rose water; 15 ml kewara water; 10 gm mint leaves

Method: 

Boil all the eggs and cut into two halves without the shell. Remove the egg yolk

Sprinkle some Olive oil, red chilli powder and turmeric and roast in an oven for a couple of minutes

Wash and soak rice for about 20-25 minutes and rise it well

Bring water to a boil and cook rice along with cardamom, mint , mace, and cinnamon

When the rice is cooked al dente, drain it into a colander

Heat Olive oil in a pan. Add sliced onion and fry until it is golden brown. Set these aside on a plate. Also, set aside half of the oil

Add the rest of the whole spice and saute. When they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic paste, green slit chilli and fry until raw smell goes off

Add dry masala and saute for a few seconds

Add yoghurt, salt, mint and coriander

Now add boiled egg white (only 1 Egg), along with 3/4 portion of fried onion

Stir and cook until the mixture thickens. Switch off the burner and set the pan away

Add half of the cooked rice to a pot. Layer the egg along with masala and layer again with the rice

Add the rest of the boiled egg to the layered rice. Sprinkle mint, coriander and golden-fried onion. Also pour saffron soaked milk, kewara and rose water, too

Cover the pot with a tight lid or aluminum foil

Heat a tawa or cast-iron pan. When its hot, place the pot on it

Dum I for 8 minutes on a low flame. Allow it to rest for another 10 minutes after switching off the flame

Open and serve egg roast biryani with garnish of golden fried onion, mint and coriander sprig

Serve hot with raita

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

By Chef Shahbuddin, Executive Chef, The Cliff Resort & Spa

“As a chef, flexibility is key when it comes to festival meals. By being creative and experimenting with different ingredients, we can create delicious meals that are easy on the pocket and will leave our taste buds tingling with joy," says Chef Shahbuddin.

Ingredients: 2 kg chicken; 1.5 kg rice; 1 bunch pudina; 1 bunch coriander leaves; 4 to 5 onions; 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1.5 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 2 tbsp jeera powder; 3 tbsp chicken masala; 2 to 3 tbsp garam masala powder; 1 cup curd; 1 gm saffron; 4 lemon; 6 to 7 Slit green chilli; 1 pkt potli masala

Method:

Clean the chicken and add Kashmiri chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, brown onion , garam masala, slit green chilli, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves and curd. Marinate in bowl

Keep aside for about 2 hrs

Add enough oil and fry finely-chopped onions till they are golden brown in colour. Remove from oil

Now drop the marinated chicken in that oil and keep it aside

Take rice (India gate classic) in another vessel, add whole garam masala, biryani leaves, salt and allow it to cook

When the rice is half-cooked, strain it

Cook the chicken and add pudina and coriander leaves

Add half the boiled rice and fried onions

Add the remaining rice and onions layer by layer and cover the vessel with a lid (don't allow pressure to go out)

Reduce flame and cook for 35 mins

Best Accompaniment: Serve hot with raita or any Indian salan/gravy of your choice

Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani

By Chef Shahbuddin, Executive Chef, The Cliff Resort & Spa

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Marinating time: 4 hours (overnight marinating more delicious)

Total time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients: For biryani spice powder: 5 green cardamom; 3 cinnamon sticks 1 inch each; 2 bay leaf; 7 cloves; 1 tsp shahi jeera caraway seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds

For marination: 1 kg mutton cut into medium size; 1 cup fried onion; 1 cup yoghurt; 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 5 slit green chillies; 2 tbsp red chilli powder Kashmiri (or as per your taste); 1 tbsp cumin powder; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 cup chopped coriander leaves; 3⁄4 cup chopped mint leaves; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1⁄2 cup cooking oil / or 1/2 cup ghee; 1 1⁄2 tsp salt (salt to taste)

For rice: 4 cups of basmati rice; 2 bay leaf; 1 piece cinnamon 2 inch; 4 cardamom; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1⁄4 cup oil; 4 tbsp salt (salt to taste); 4 liters water

For dum cooking: 1⁄2 cup fried onion; 1⁄2 cup chopped coriander leaves; 1⁄2 cup milk with yellow food colour; 1 tsp rose essence; 1 pinch saffron strands; 1 tablespoon shahi jeera

Method:

Heat a pan and dry roast the biryani spices and grind to a fine powder

Wash the rice and soak for 2 hours

Make hard dough with wheat flour and water, to seal the edges of the vessel

Marinate the mutton pieces in a large bowl with ingredients mentioned in marination list for at least 2 hours

For biryani rice:

Keep a large vessel with enough water to cook 4 cups of rice. When the water starts to boil, add salt, 1 bay leaf, 1 big stick of cinnamon, 3 to 4 cardamom, 1 dried lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1/4 cup oil

Add the soaked rice to the water and cook till 70 percent done. The rice should be firm as it has to be cooked again in dum for 1 hour

Keep a close eye on this process as it takes only 10 to 12 minutes

Once the rice is cooked, sieve it into a colander and drain all the water

For dum cooking:

Keep a biryani dum pan for preheating

In a large vessel, place the marinated meat as first layer

Spread half of the cooked rice over the meat and drizzle half of milk, half of fried onion (a handful), half of the chopped coriander, half of shahi jeera

Repeat the step with remaining cooked rice and dum ingredients

Make a deep dent (at least 3) so that the steam can circulate easily within the vessel. Place the lid and seal the edges with the dough as shown in the pic. And place the vessel on the preheated dum cooking pan

For first 10 minutes, cook on medium-high heat. Then reduce the flame on lowest and cook for 50 minutes

Switch off the gas and let the biryani sit for another 10 to 15 minutes before opening the lid

Remove the dough and serve the biryani hot with raita and baghara baingan or salan

Tarakai Biryani (Veg biryani)

By Executive Chef G. Somasundaram, Renaissance Race Course Road Bengaluru

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serving size: 1 portion

Ingredients: 25 gm Broccoli; 25 gm Guchchhi mushroom; 25 gm chickpeas; 150 gm Basmati rice; 25 gm fried onion; 20 gm garlic ginger paste; 15 gm red chilli paste; 15 gm mint leaves; 10 gm coriander leaves; 8 gm gulab pankhudi; 10 gm turmeric powder; 100 gm curd; 45 ml pure ghee; 1 gm saffron; 30 ml fresh cream; 8 gm slit green chilli; 6 gm yellow chilli powder; 8 gm garam masala; 2 gm bay leaves; 8 gm black cardamom; 15 gm green cardamom; 2 gm cloves; 2 gm cinnamon sticks; 5 gm mace; 5 ml rose water; 5 ml kewda water

Method:

Marinade all the ingredients by mixing them in curd. Adjust seasoning as per taste

Boil water, and add salt and lemon juice. Boil rice in this water and cook until about 70 per cent done. Strain the rice

Put the rice on top of the marinated vegetables. Add ghee, cream, rose water and kewda water on top of the rice

Wrap in aluminum foil and put on a dum on slow flame, for 30 minutes

Garnish with curd cheese dumplings, fried onion, fresh coriander and mint herbs

Taste for seasoning before serving

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

By Executive Chef Sajid Patel of Qafila by Kava, Fairfield by Marriott ORR, and Courtyard by Marriott Outer Ring Road

Serves: 10

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients: 700 gm onion; 50 gm green cardamom; 10 gm black cardamom; 5 gm cloves; 5 gm bay leaf; 100 gm green chilli; 1 gm saffron; 250 gm salt; 250 gm ginger garlic paste; 20 gm cumin powder; 300 gm brown onion; 200 ml slim milk; 5 ml rose water; 1500 ml water; 10 ml kewra water; 750 gm basmati rice; 1 kg marinated chicken; 2 gm Javitri powder; 100 gm mint leaves; 150 gm coriander leaves; 5 gm cardamom powder; 600 ml oil; 200 ml ghee; 25 gm shai jeera

Method:

Let the chicken remain in the marinate for at least 1 hour. Wash and soak rice for at least 30 minutes. Add the saffron in 10 gm of hot water for 30 minutes

Heat oil. When hot, add the sliced onions and the green chilli and saute. Saute the onions till golden brown. Add 50 gm of the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor disappears. Then add the marinated chicken, the cashew nut paste, and the milk

Adjust the seasoning and cook on low heat till the chicken is quit done

Boil water along with the whole spices. When the water boils, remove the whole spices with the help of a strainer

Add the soaked rice and cook till half and drain off the water

Make several layers of chicken gravy and the cooked rice alternatively. On the last layer, sprinkle the soaked saffron, kewra water and rose water. Cook on dum for 25 to 30 minutes on very low heat

Serve hot garnished with brown onions, dry fruits, and mint leaves

Lamb Shank Biryani

By Chef Sombir Choudhary, Voila Hyderabad, Jubilee Hills Hyderabad

"Lamb shank biryani is a fragrant and flavorful dish that combines tender lamb shanks with spiced basmati rice. This dish is perfect for special occasions or when you want to impress your guests with an indulgent and exotic meal. Also, Lamb shanks are a good source of lean protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues in the body," says Chev Sombir.

Ingredients: 4 lamb shanks; 2 cups basmati rice; 4 cups water; 1 large onion (finely sliced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 2 tbsp ginger paste; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp biryani masala; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1/4 tsp cardamom powder; 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; Salt to taste; Oil for cooking; Fresh cilantro and mint leaves for garnish

Method:

Soak the basmati rice in water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and set aside

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds

Add the sliced onions and fry until they are golden brown. Add garlic and ginger paste, and cook for another 1-2 minutes

Add the lamb shanks and fry until they are browned on all sides

Add the tomato paste, biryani masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, and salt. Mix everything well and cook for a few minutes

Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 1 hour, or until the lamb shanks are cooked and tender

In a separate pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the soaked rice and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is almost cooked

Drain the rice and layer it on top of the lamb shanks in the pot. Cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy

Garnish with fresh cilantro and mint leaves, and serve hot

Serve this dish in your favourite platter or bowl

Lilva Biryani

By Chef Renu Dala

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients: For the rice: 3 cups cooked basmati rice; 2 tbsp oil; 4 tbsp coriander (kothmir) paste; Salt to taste; 1 tsp asafetida (hing)

For the lilva: 2 tbsp oil; 2 cups boiled green pigeon peas (tuvar na lilva);2 tbsp coriander (kothmir) paste; 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi); ½ chopped onion; 1 tsp asafoetida (hing); 1 tsp chilli powder; Salt to taste

For baking: 2 tbsp butter; 1 onion sliced and sautéed in oil

Method:

For the lilva:

Heat the oil in a vessel. Add asafoetida, onions and fry for ½ minute

Add 2 tbsp of the coriander paste and fry for 1 minute

Add the lilva, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and cook for 2 minutes.

For the rice:

In a vessel heat the oil, add the asafoetida, coriander paste and fry for 1 minute

Add the rice, salt to taste, mix well and cook for 2 minutes

For baking:

Line an oven proof bowl and put butter on the lining

Arrange a layer of rice in the bowl and cover with a layer of the lilva mixture

Place another layer of rice over the lilva mixture

Place the sautéed onions over this

Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 350° F (176o C)

This biryani can be served with Gujarati kadhi

Jowar Aur Kathal Ka Haleem (Sorghum Haleem made with Jackfruit)

by Chef Manisha Bhasin, Corporate Executive Chef, ITC Limited (Hotels Division)

Ingredients: 1 cup Sorghum millet (whole); 2 cups raw jackfruit; 1/4 cup urad dal (without skin); 1/4 cup chana dal; 5 cup water; 3 cup milk; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1/4 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tbsp green chilli paste; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1/2 tsp coriander powder; 1 small piece whole garam masala; 1/2 cup cashew nut; 2 tbsp onion (sliced and golden fried); 1 tbsp refined oil; 4 tbsp clarified butter (ghee); salt to taste

For garnish: 1/2 tsp fried onion slices; 1/2 tsp chopped mint; 1/2 tsp chopped green chilli; 2 lemon wedges; 1/2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Marinate the jackfruit with half of the ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, salt and turmeric powder

Fry jack fruit in medium hot oil till cooked. Pull apart coarsely

In thick bottom lagan/ pan add water, milk whole spices, soaked lentils and Sorghum boil till done

Add cashew nuts. Cook till the water is almost soaked

Grind it to a thick coarse paste

In a lagan heat oil and crackle cumin seeds add ginger and garlic paste, chilli paste and cooked lentil millet paste

Add spice powders and adjust seasoning, cook on slow flame adding more milk if required till spices are cooked and mixtures form a homogeneous consistency. Add the golden fried onion and ghee to finish

Serve garnished with fried onion slivers, chopped mint, chopped green chilli, lemon wedges and chopped coriander leaves