Get to Know about Dum Matka Biryani; the favorite Mughlai Delicacy
Biryani is the most consumed and crazed for dish in all of South Asia. It is associated with the royalty and renouncement of pain. It has become a staple food for people around the world and also in Indian dining in Bali. The best way to describe this dish is to imagine curry mixed with semi-cooked rice and then cooked again. This combination makes an unbelievably magical dish. There are several versions of Biryani and the dish is such that it colors the world saffron! In Indian restaurants in Seminyak, the choices can be mutton, chicken, prawns or even vegetables. This dish varies to cater to all the food preferences of people be it vegetarian, non- vegetarian, or even vegan.
An experience at any Indian restaurant in Bali will be incomplete without a spoonful of Dum Matka Biryani. It will make anyone a fanatic. You will be stepping into another world. The splendor will be incredible. It is a gastronomical experience worth relishing. The feeling is like catharsis in moments. It has a positive impact on one’s health as it contains a good amount of protein and nutrients.
The most important ingredients that make any Biryani perfect are Biryani masala or the combination of spices used while making the gravy. The first bite of Biryani will make you sing symphonies in your mind. The harmony of spiced, protein flavored rice will trigger all the endorphins. It will make you feel a lot of things but most of all, it will make you feel happy! The meat becomes succulent and soft and falls off the bones. As a foreigner, eating Biryani can be compared to the English dish fish and chips and still rank a nine-point five out of ten. South Asian dishes such as Dum Matka Biryani are the little gems that came from the hearts and souls of the Mughals. It has been here for a very long time. It is a time tested and comforting happy dish.
We, an Indian restaurant in Seminyak, use the traditional method of cooking with a matka or a clay pot. It is placed on firewood in a clay pot with dough covered on top. Specifically, tamarind wood is used. Any other wood would burn down to ash, but tamarind wood burns down to charcoal which is then placed on the lid to process the dum. First, the protein is prepared well with curry or meat liquor as we call it.
After the meat is slightly undercooked, the curry is taken out into a bowl. While this is happening, the rise is getting prepared. When the rice halfway cooked in rice water, it is placed directly on top of the meat. The curry is ladled on top of the layered rice, and it is all cooked together. Then the secret- dum is added.
This process makes a tasty, flavorful and moist Biryani. Every bite leaves you wanting the next bite. It is serviced along with condiments. The way that Biryani is cooked is that each bite carries the taste of the chicken or mutton even if the meat isn’t present in the bite.