Fried Rice

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Topic started by Radhika (@ 61.11.74.39) on Tue Oct 29 05:28:20 .


Dear friends,
want to know the difference between fried rice ,pulao and Biriyani.
Please suggest some tasty recipes of the above which is good for health as well as for kids

[Oldposts]

Hello Radhika! Each of these three rice products has its own strata in the culinary realm, since Agriculture became an occupation. What needs to be looked at is its evolution as a standardized and accepted fare on the Dinner table.
I do not know why the term “Fried” is used in making this type of Rice. Most Chinese hot foods are prepared in the “wok” – which involves stir-frying, at high heats. The function of the oil is more to sauté and give a glaze, rather than cook the product. Mind you Chinese fried rice as adapted to Indian taste buds, calls in for this unique combination of “Bhunao” procedure along with the “Stir Fry”, predominantly practiced in Indian cooking. Fried rice prepared in China and the Indo-Chine land mass is normally soft and soggy. It is destined to be eaten with “Chopsticks” in a swift and clean coordination of the hand and mouth. Fried rice is basically made with sticky rice, which is parboiled or steamed the Chinese way and then stir fried with other vegetables and or meat and seafoods. To a large extent this delicacy is the poor man’s staple food in China. The way we tend to do it is use long grain rice, parboil and cool, Stir fry a mix of vegetables, eggs and or meat/sea foods, with seasonings Soya and some hot sauce at times.

A Pulao and Biryani for that matter came in with the invaders. It has undergone changes in its attempt to adapt to the local populace. Very popular in Persia or Iran, these products have become a part of traditional Indian foods.

Both Pulao and Biryani as we know them today is made from the long grain rice normally Basmati (real or unreal).
Pulao is rice cooked with spices, and or vegetables, meats, herbs and seasonings. The basic technique is to fry the spices and the rice in hot oil in a heavy bottom pan, and add stock to cook the rice. This method is known as the absorption method where the rice absorbs all the moisture. A good Pulao is one that is moist and full of flavour with the rice grains maintaining its size and shape. Pulao made in large quantities do not take this route. Generally, the spices are splattered in hot oil, and the stock added along with the seasonings. The washed soaked rice is then added, when the stock comes to boil. Boiling stock prevents rice from getting sticky. Rice needs to be cooked quickly on high heat and then finished in “Dum” on the hot plate or oven. Yakhni Pulao calls in for meat either goat/lamb or Beef – where the meat is precooked and the resultant stock is used to cook the rice. In some cases, like making a Chicken Yakhni Pulao, you could cook the chicken along with the rice.

Biryani originates from Persia and originally meant “Pot Roasted” – I suspect somewhere along the way – rice occupied its place as an accompaniment to the roasted meats. This probably culminated in having a combined preparation of rice and the meat together. Biryani as made today is made either “Pukki” or “Kutchi” – both methods incorporating the “Dum” procedure in it.
The basic difference in the two is in the way the rice is cooked. In “Pukki” – rice is precooked either the Pulao style or with spices. In the “Kutchi” method, rice is parboiled for about 3 minutes in boiling water, which is then placed in layers with the marinated meat and cooked on coal in a sealed pot. The “Pukki” Biryani uses the Dum procedure after the cooked meat and cooked rice are placed in the pot and sealed.
There is a third way of making the Biryani – known as the Indian restaurants method (neo-classical), where cooking practices are handled irresponsibly, claiming to be traditional. This method calls in for precooked rice and a basic curry with lamb/goat/beef or vegetable – which is then tossed and flavoured with more spices (exotic?? as they may sound), and served in a heap on a platter or forced in one of those traditional cooking pot replicas in brass or copper. And then it is served as the most authentic Biryani.
Biryani as made today use an abundance of fried onions with other spices and tomatoes and or yoghurt, mint, cilantro and the main meat or vegetable and saffron (the best comes from Iran).
In Pulao the rice and the veg/meat is cooked together, whereas in Biryani, the meat/veg is either cooked in a sauce or marinated as in “Kutchi” to result in a sauce and then arranged in layers with the rice either cooked or blanched.

In my personal opinion to compare is to invoke jealousy, to find a difference is to bridge the gap and destroy individualism. Hope this helps.

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Dear Mr.Funcook
Thanks a lot...very informative...and useful tips

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Hi Funcook,
I believe you have enormous knowledge of cooking. Could you please post vegetable biriyani recipe in this thread? I had once eaten veg.biriyani (which was served along with some gravy by default) in India. I still remember that taste. Lot of people have the same understanding of pulao and biriyani (except that biriyani has more spices and oil).
I appreciate your effort.

Bye,
CI

[Oldposts]

Hi Funcook,

Very useful informations. Thanks you so much.

[Oldposts]

Hi Funcook,

Very useful information. Thanks you so much.

[Oldposts]

Typo again!!?? Sorry
Very useful information. Thank you so much.

[Oldposts]

Hello CI! Not sure what kind of a Biryani recipe you are expecting. Nevertheless here is the way I recommend it to be made. Am not listing specific quantities, as I have no measure of them, but you could use your cooking instincts.

For the rice:
Basmati rice approx 1 kg
Whole of; green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and few black peppercorns (optional)
1 large onion chopped
Two medium tomatoes chopped
Yoghurt - approx 4 tbsp
Salt
Chopped fresh cilantro and fresh mint - a handful
Ginger and garlic paste (1:1) - 1/2 tsp
Warmed saffron, crushed and soaked in a little milk
Oil

Wash and soak rice in water for 20 minutes. Heat a heavy-bottom pan; when hot, add oil. Add the whole spices. When spices crackle, add chopped onions, sauté till soused (almost a pink color), add ginger and garlic paste, sauté and add chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook till tomatoes are soft. Add chopped cilantro and the mint. Add beaten yoghurt and salt, cook for a couple of minutes. Add hot water. When water comes to a boil, add the drained rice. Stir occasionally to prevent rice from sticking. Cover the pan and let cook at high temp. The trick is to add the right amount of water, to cook the rice almost 3/4ths done. When water has almost evaporated, pour over the saffron milk in concentric circles over the rice and place the pot in a preheated oven at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove lid and break open the rice with a spatula. Keep aside in another container.

Alternately, you may boil the rice in plenty of water with the whole spices, salt and oil only.

Whatever you choose to do, cook the rice till 3/4ths done.

For the vegetable:

Mix of;
Diced carrots
Diced green beans
Tiny cauliflower florettes
Diced potatoes
Green peas
Golden fried onions - plenty
Tomato quarters - 2 medium
Yoghurt - 2 tbsp
Red chilly paste
Garam masala powder
Turmeric powder
Loosely chopped fresh cilantro and mint
Oil
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp
Fine juliennes of fresh ginger

Precook all vegetables separately. In a hot pan, add oil, ginger garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Add fried onions, turmeric, chilly paste, garam masala powder and the tomatoes. Stir-fry for a minute. Add the cooked vegetables and the salt. Stir frequently on high heat. When vegetables and the onions are pretty well blended, add the yoghurt - the resultant mix of vegetables should appear saucy. Add cilantro, mint and ginger juliennes and remove from stove.

In a heavy bottom pot, grease the bottom with either ghee or oil. Place a layer of rice evenly spread all over and lightly press. Spread a part of the cooked vegetables. Alternate the layers with rice and vegetable, finishing with a top layer of rice.

Sprinkle some fried onions over. (If you made rice the boiled way, you may add the saffron milk at this stage) Cover the pot and seal it with soft dough made with AP flour and water.
Place pot in a preheated oven 250 F for 45 minutes.

Remove pot from the oven and keep aside. Biryani is best had when it matures. You could make this in the morning and serve it for the evening. As an accompaniment, serve a bowl of boondi raita.
You may also use halved fried cashew nuts along with the vegetables and reserve some for garnish.

To reiterate further, Biryani is not served with any sauce or gravy on the side. Biryani by itself is a main course meal.

As an option, you may use 1/2 oil and 1/2 ghee to make the rice by the absorption method.

[Oldposts]

Hi Funcook,
Thanks for the recipe. Will try it out and let u know how it turned out.

Bye,
CI

[Oldposts]

Dear Mr.Funcook,
Really very detailed recipe with minute info.
Thanks a lot.
Please share recipes with us whenever you find time.