Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Chef Senjay and tonight I will demonstrate how to make Biryani the traditional way, but first I will tell you a bit about its history. Biryani is derived from the Farsi word "Birian," which means "fried before cooking" and, yes, you guessed right! The rice for this dish used to be fried in ghee or clarified butter. Based on the name and cooking style called DUM - and for all you wise guys there's no "B" on the end - the dish likely originated in Persia and Arabia, possibly via Afghanistan to North India with Arab traders travelling over the Arabian sea to Calicut. During the Mogul empire (1800 - 1900), Biryani was a royal dish for Nawabs and Nizams, who hired vegetarian Hindus as bookkeepers. This lead to the development of Tahiri Biryani. It always amazes me just how much history can be attached to one humble dish of food. Now I will give you general instructions that demonstrate how to make Biryani the old-fashioned way, which has six steps, as follows: The first step is to make two different types of aromatic waters: sweet and savory. The traditional ingredients of savory water include nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamoms, fennel seeds, bay leaves (tej patta), black peppercorns and salt to taste. Add the above ingredients to water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes. You can make a "Bouquet Gurney" by putting spices in a cheese cloth folded three times, which allows you to easily remove the whole spices when the savory water is ready. Next we will make sweet water, which is actually hot milk spiced with ground cardamom seeds, saffron strands and kewra, and I add rose essence to give it that extra je ne sais quoi. The second step is precooking the rice. Though not as aromatic as Basmati rice, it is best to choose long grain brown parboiled rice as it has a lovely chewy texture. Also, parboiled rice is gelatinized so grains do not stick together. Believe me, you don't want that headache - especially when yo have guests coming to dinner. Do not wash this rice or soak it in water. If you do wash it, be sure to use a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Now we heat a heavy-bottom pan with ghee and stir-fry the rice. When it changes color to opaque and then lightly brown, and gives off a nutty aroma, add the savory water - 2 cups to each cup of rice. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer. Rice should be about half-cooked and most of the water absorbed. The third step is precooking the extra layer. I'm using lamb in this demonstration, but you can also use vegetables or chicken for the extra layer. Heat the pan with ghee. Fry the onions, ginger and garlic unti they are transparent and turn off the heat. Cut the leg of lamb into bite-size pieces and add papaya pieces, water and salt. Turn the heat back on so the water temperature is no higher than 130º F. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, until the lamb is very tender. The reason for the precise temperature is the papaya has enzymes that tenderize meat which are only active between 104 and 140º F (fahrenheit). Higher temperatures kill the enzymes. Once the lamb is tender, add tomato puree, Garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Turn up the heat and continue sautéing until the ghee starts to separate. The preparation should be almost dry. The fourth step is preparing the condiment layer. Cut up a few onions into thin vertical slices and sautée them in ghee. Keep sautéeing on medium to hot heat until the onions start to caramelize. Lightly brown the thinly sliced onions in ghee. Chop some fresh peppermint and cilantro. Keep all these items in separate dishes. The fifth step is the layering itself. Choose a deep pot in which to assemble the Biryani. Remember: the top and bottom layers are always rice. Spread a layer of rice on the bottom of the pot. Next add a bit of each aromatic water in a circular motion, then a layer of lamb, and the "garnish layer," of caramelized onions, chopped fresh peppermint, chopped fresh cilantro and toasted slivered almonds. Now start again with a layer of rice and repeat. If it is the top layer of the rice, add the savory and sweet waters as before and the garnish the top. Seal the Biryani pot with aluminum foil. The sixth and final step is baking the Biryani. I usually use a Handi over coal embers to make Biryani, but today, to make it easier on you, I will bake it in oven using a casserole dish. Preheat your oven to 425º F. and place the sealed Biryani pot in the oven. The time will depend on the amount you have prepared. It is necessary to take the temperature of the Biryani from time to time. When it has reached about 140º F, reduce the oven temperature to 275º F. and hold the Biryani at 140º F. Remove the pot from the oven 15 minutes before serving. When you are ready to serve this delicious dish, break the seal and inhale deeply. Our Biryani is now ready to eat. Lucky for you I made enough for everyone! A word of caution before I go: be very careful where you buy your spices. They should be from a reputable Indian spice shop, like my good friend, Shanti's Spice Shop in Edo. Source: IndiaCurry.com