Zam Zam Biryani Recipe. Famous Mumbai Zam Zam Biryani Recipe.

Zam Zam Biryani

Zam Zam Biryani is one of the most delicious Biryani among Chicken biryani , Mutton biryani , butter chicken biryani, prawns biryani and so on. Well this Zam Zam Biryani is a fusion like in this one not only chicken is added but mutton koftas, vegetables, french fried and boiled eggs are added too which in turn gives a delicious and mesmerizing flavor to the Zam Zam Biryani.

In Zam Zam Biryani you can even add boneless mutton pieces, lamb’s kidney, lamb’s liver and lamb’s heart too. So here you get a good varieties to have in Zam Zam Biryani which makes it more appealing and differnt to other Biryani’s.

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INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN MARINATION :

1 kg chicken with bones
1 or 1 and half tsp red chilly powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

INGREDIENTS FOR KOFTA :

250 -350 gms lamb mince with fats
1 tbsp gram flour
2-3 green chillies crushed
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
3-4 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR RICE:

2 cups of basmati rice
1 bay leaf
3-4 pepper corns
3-5 cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1 green cardamom
5-6 cups of water
salt

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

2-3 boiled eggs
500 gms basmati rice
2 cups vegetables mix ( cauliflower florest, carrots, green peas)
1/2 cup birista ( fried onions)
7-9 crushed green chillies
1 and 1/2 cup curd
1 tbsp garam masala powder ( whole mix spice powder)
1 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder
1 tsp kewra water
Pinch of kesar colour
Strands of zafrran/Saffron
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves
8-10 cashews
3-4 potatoes french fries
whole mix spices (2-3 bay leaves, 4-5 cloves, 4-6 pepper corns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 big cardamom , 2-3 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 javitri
2 tbsp clarified butter
Salt to taste

PREPARATION OF RICE:

Wash rice 2-3 times in running water and soak in plain water for 15 minutes .
Side by side as the gravy is being prepared , in a large deep pan or pot , boil water with salt .
Add whole garam masala mentioned under the INGREDIENTS FOR RICE “section directly in the boiling water.
Drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water, cook until the rice is 3/4th done, drain the rice and keep on strainer until all the water has drained out.
Roughly hand pick the whole garam masala and discard them.

HOW TO MAKE ZAM ZAM BIRYANI :

1.Clean and wash chicken and slit or prick each pieces with the help of knife and marinate them with the ingredients mentioned under the section ” INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN MARINATION” for 1 hour or till the gravy is being made.

MAKE KOTFA :

Wash , drain and pulse the lamb’s mince in food processor into fine.

Add all the ingredients mentioned under the section of “” Ingredients for Kofta” , mix well and marinate for an hour or 2.

In a kadhai, heat oil , side by side on your palm apply oil and take small amount of mince mixture and make small balls.

Once the oil is hot, add the koftas 2-4 at a time and deep fry them on slow flame till the koftas are done. Drain and transfer to an absorbent paper and keep aside.

Fry the remaining koftas 3-4 pieces at a time, repeat the process till all the koftas are done.

NOTE:

You can add green chillies as per your preferences.
You can add red chilly powder as per your preferences.
You can prepare koftas in double quantity like 500 gms.
Initially when you fry the koftas, make sure you add 1 kofta and deep fry it to taste and even check that they are intact and not breaking, if they are breaking then add 1 tsp gram flour more to bind them. Shape them in balls and continue the procedure.
If your lamb mince is not smooth enough after blending to paste then add 2-3 tbsp oil or butter as the fats not present in your mince will later at the time of frying and serving will be dry and a bit hard.
You can even add 1 finely chopped onions at the time just before shaping them in to koftas.

PREPARE THE GRAVY :

In kadhai drizzle some oil , add all whole spices such as bay leaf, cloves, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, green cardamom, cumin seeds. Let it splutter and add sliced onions.
Add little salt so that onions fry quickly, once the onions turn golden in colour add ginger garlic paste.
Roast for 1-2 minutes or till raw smell disappears.
Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, garam masala powder ( whole spice mix powder) and curd.
Fry till the oil separates. Add dry crushed fenugreek ( methi ) leaves, crushed green chillies and marinated chicken, mix well.
Cover and cook on slow flame till the chicken is completely done.
Now add the boiled vegetables, mix well and cook for few seconds.
Turn off the gas.

ASSEMBLING OF ZAM ZAM BIRYANI :

In a vessel or deep pot , drizzle 1 tbsp oil and apply all over the base. Take 1 big spoon of cooked Basmati rice and make one small layer of rice , then add gravy , place all the KOFTAS as well as french fries and boiled eggs rings in between the chicken gravy. Sprinkle some coriander leaves, birista ( fried onions ) and mint leaves.
Now add rest of the remaining rice all over the chicken gravy , sprinkle some crispy fried onions ( birista which preserved for later use) , coriander leaves , few chopped mint leaves , 2 tsp ghee all over the rice . Lastly add milk with saffron and food colour mixed in rose water ( optional) . ( if you feel that saffron alone is not giving that desired colour to your biryani then add food colour or else just add plain rose water ) .
If you want you can add pan fried cashews in Zam Zam biryani , pine nuts and raisins too. ( this step is optional ). Just fry the nuts in 1 tbsp ghee and when layering biryani, pour this over chicken gravy. Then add the remaining rice and complete the procedure.
Cover with the lid and keep something heavy on it so that the steam remains inside. Or seal the edges with flour dough. Cook on low flame until the steam starts coming out or for 15-20 minutes. ( preferably keep a hot griddle under the vessel in which Zam Zam Biryani is being made , so that it does not stick too much from the bottom, if you are not using a non stick pan)
Serve Zam Zam Biryani hot with dahi pyaz raita or boondi raita or hung curd mint dip.

NOTE :

I have not added food color in Zam Zam biryani, instead I have added saffron for color but if you want you can add food color instead of saffron. If you are adding food color then just in the end at the time of assembling separately dilute food color in 1 -2 tbsp water and sprinkle over rice.
If you have birista ( golden fried onions ) pre hand , you can use them in your Zam Zam Biryani but it is better if you make fresh birista.
You can adjust the no of red chilly powder as per your preferences.
You can adjust the no of green chilies as per your preferences in your Zam Zam Biryani.