Biryani

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The origin of Biryani was in the kitchen of Mughal Emperors. Throughout the centuries, the recipe of biryani has been passed on from one generation to another, with chefs from Old Delhi still guarding the secret recipe to one of the most exotic dishes of the Mughal era. The spices and condiments used in biryani may include nutmeg, mace pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, onions, and garlic and premium variety of saffron. The rice is cooked separately from the thick sauce, which is a greatly reduced curry of meat and spices. The curry and the rice are then brought together and layered, resulting in a dish with contrasting flavors of rice and intensely flavored sauce and meat. This separation is a necessity, the proportion of meat to the rice is high enough to make biryani a one-dish meal, and the cooking time of each of the main ingredients is significantly different from each other.

Qorma

Qorma is a characteristic Indian dish which can be traced back to the 16th century and has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine. The flavour of Qorma is based on a mixture of spices, including ground coriander and cumin, combined with yogurt and incorporated slowly and carefully with the meat juices. The meat is first cooked briskly or seared using a high heat and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid, carried out in a pot set over a very low fire. The pot may be sealed with dough during the last stages of cooking. A Qorma can be mildly spiced or a fiery meat curry and may use mutton, lamb and chicken. It is mostly eaten with Sheermal or Tandoori roti.

Nahari

According to many sources Nahari originated in Old Delhi in late eighteenth century during the last throes of Mughal Empire. The word “Nahar” means “morning” after sunrise prayers. This dish was usually eaten in the early morning (puritans would indulge in this delicacy before sunrise). Nahari is cooked overnight in various vessels (traditional Nahari recipe calls for 6–8 hours of cooking time), which results in extremely tender morsels of meat, including the flavourful bone marrow. The Baghaar is lightly fried in ghee to reduce the heat of chili and the tarka is an additional oily chilli to spice up the flavour. Cooked brains and bone marrow are served alongside the stew. The Nahari is garnished according to individual tastes with coriander leaves, fried onions, green chillies, strips of ginger, lemons etc. In addition, garam masala, a blend of powdered spices is sprinkled over the stew.