Discovering the Secrets of Bangladeshi Beef Kacchi Biryani

I have a discovery! Bangladeshi Kacchi Biryani Recipe!

While I have declared in a previous fish biryani post that I am a biryani addict and that it was one of the reasons I visited India, I realized this time that there are roads less traveled, food not sampled, and culture undiscovered. Here are my initial attempts at discovering something new. First is by trying new food, not only from places that I have visited but places I have yet to visit. Bangladesh has become one on my list of places to visit. So, here I am, attempting to capture the meat-and-rice recipe they call Kacchi biryani.

What is Kacchi biryani?

First, let me say that there are two ways to cook biryani. One is called Kacchi and the other Pakki. They are both biryanis, but they refer to the cooking process.

Kaachi refers to marinated meat and raw rice cooked together in their own steam and served. Pakki biryani refers to the process in which the meat and the rice are cooked separately and then layered before cooking.

We are using the Kacchi process here.

Ingredients of Kacchi beef biryani from Bangladesh

• Green cardamom
• Cinnamon stick
• Cloves
• Mace
• Cumin seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Plain Yogurt
• Ginger paste
• Garlic paste
• Fried onions

Best Way to Cook Bangladeshi Kacchi Biryani

Kacchi Biryani is a magical dish! The key to its amazing taste lies in roasting and grinding the spices on a mortar and pestle. Then, when you start roasting the spices, you will be entranced by the heavenly aroma that fills your kitchen. The ground spices further enhance the aroma. And when the finished biryani is served, all these flavors and aromas come together in an extraordinary taste experience.

“Can I use readily mixed spices for Kaachi biryani to skip the roasting and grinding?”

The answer to that question is “yes.” There are readily available mixed spices in your local market. From where I am in Saudi Arabia, I can get myself confused with the following names of spices on the shelves of the supermarket: biryani masala, garam masala, Hyderabad biryani masala, Bombay biryani masala. The last two are identified with their place of origin, but biryani masala just the same. And the list goes on. And because I did not see Bangladeshi Biryani Masala, much less Bangladeshi Biryani Kaachi Biryani masala, it gave me more reason for the roasting and grinding process. There is something heavenly in the old traditional Kacchi biryani.

Bangladesh Kaachi biryani is best when…

• The meat has been marinated

This is first and foremost. When a recipe says that we can marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes up to overnight, take “overnight.” Or the longest you can starting from half an hour. Just like the old saying “all things good are worth waiting for.”

“All things good are worth waiting for.”

• Cook the biryani over medium heat

As in most Middle Eastern recipes, cooking biryani requires a slow process. You will be able to achieve cooked biryani otherwise, but there is something extraordinary in the use of patience, especially in cooking dishes that require time, including this one.

• The dish is consumed right on the same day it is cooked.

The same hour for me! Sorry for my impatience. But this Kaachi biryani is best consumed while it is hot.

My verdict on this new discovery!

So, that’s my new discovery, which is supposedly nothing new, I am just late. There are a lot of recipes and versions of this biryani on the internet and in books, but that would not prevent me from sharing these. Kacchi biryani – whether beef or chicken – is heavenly and delicious! It’s like falling in love the second time around!

Special utensils used in cooking this recipe

Nothing really special. You can use any traditional casserole dish or cooking pot, a regular ladle for stirring and that is all.

Of course, the mortar and pestle can be replaced by the mini-grinder, if you have one, and this would make the grinding faster and the result finer. Your choice. I loved the tiny rough feel of the roasted spices on my tongue against the soft feel of the cooked rice.

How to store leftover biryani?

As in many other dishes, leftover Kacchi biryani can be stored in a tight-lid container in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Magida

Beef Kacchi Biryani

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• Author: Magida
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 5 people 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: cooking
• Cuisine: Bangladesh

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Ingredients

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• 1½ kilo beef chunks
• 1½ tsp ginger paste
• 3 tsp garlic paste
• 4 dry red chili
• 2–3 inches stick of cinnamon
• 8 green cardamom
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp mace
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1½ cup yogurt
• 3/4 cup ghee or butter
• 4 medium potato (quartered)
• 3 tbsps orange or yellow food color
• 1 cup onion thinly sliced
• 4 cups basmati rice
• 6 cups water
• ½ cup milk
• pinch of saffron
• 12 pitted prunes
• Salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Wash rice, soak in water for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
2. Wash the meat and dry using a paper towel.
3. Dry roast cumin, fennel, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, chili, mace and cardamon, then grind using a mortar and pestle or mini chopper.
4. Add yogurt, ground spice, ginger and garlic paste, salt, and meat. Marinate for at least half an hour, preferably overnight.
5. Soak sliced onion in ¾ the amount of milk and gently fry in ghee until golden brown.
6. Rub potato with food color. Then fry until half done,
7. Add the saffron to the remaining milk, and set aside.
8. Layer the following onto a casserole (preferably the one you used to fry the onions): meat, potatoes, fried onion, prunes, and rice. Add water and saffron.
9. Cook on the stove for 2 hours, tightly sealed with foil and topped with the casserole cover.

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