Fragrant and downright delicious, biryani is loved around the country. Be it the mild, aromatic Awadhi (Lakhnavi biryani), or a more robust Hyderabadi biryani. Our fondness for biryani has led us to review a lot of packaged biryanis or Biryani Kits over time. While expecting the same flavors and quality of a freshly made biryani from a ready-to-eat or a ready-to-cook product would be unfair, we do look for that signature biryani flavor and aroma in our reviews. We reviewed the ready-to-cook 24 Mantra Organic Biryani (vegetarian) to gauge its taste, aroma, and appearance. Here is our #FirstImpression.
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What You Need To Know About 24 Mantra Organic Biryani
*As per information on the pack
- This is a vegetarian product.
- 100 grams of this biryani provides 400 calories.
- No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives are added in this product.
- Allergen information – Contains peanut. Packed in a facility that packs wheat, soybean, mustard, sesame and tree nuts.
#FirstImpression Of 24 Mantra Organic Biryani
Price and packaging – The 24 Mantra Organic Biryani is a ready-to-cook biryani which comes in a brown bag like packing. A 200 gram pack of this biryani is priced at Rs 120/-.
List of ingredients – The list of ingredients comprises of basmati rice (80%), groundnut oil, dried vegetables (beans and carrots), dried onions, dried coriander leaves, dried garlic, ginger, coriander powder, chili powder, dried mint leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, mace, cumin seeds, turmeric, and spices. All these are marked as organic on the pack. Other ingredients included are salt, asafoetida, and acidulant (citric acid).
The label – The nutrition label is nice and detailed. A single serving (50 grams) of this biryani provides 200 calories. They do not mention that you can add cooked chicken or any meat in this. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives in this biryani mix.
Dry inspection – As we transferred the contents of the pack in a bowl for dry inspection, we observed an aroma very similar to that of Hyderabadi biryani. We could see a lot of fried onions and it had a fresh bhuna pyaaz fragrance that reminds you of a classic biryani. The pack mentions vegetables like carrots and beans, and we could spot them in the dry inspection.
How to make it – According to the pack you can cook this biryani using two methods – in an electric cooker or in an open pan. We used the open pan method. Combine 1 measure of this mix to two measures of water, boil and simmer on a low to medium flame for 10-12 minutes. Let it rest for 2 minutes and serve hot with a raita. As the pack claimed, it did take us 10 minutes to cook this biryani.
Taste and texture – Post cooking, we could see the carrot, beans, and the onions liberally used across the biryani. The biryani was light brown in color. The biryani has a meaty-aroma which is not overpowering at all. The onion aroma reduced a lot in comparison to the dry version.
You usually expect the biryani to be fluffy with grains of rice not sticking to each other. The rice cooked well but did not come out ‘khila-khila’ as you would expect. That being said, they weren’t sticky or lumpy at all.
Flavor-wise, it lacks a ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ punch. Sure, it’s a nutritious version with added carrots and beans. The carrots are crunchy, and the veggies taste fresh. You can taste the ginger and warming spices like mace in there; there is generally a lot of spicinesses from the khada masalas.
But, coming to the main question – Does it deliver on the Hyderabadi Biryani tag? Well, no. We would have liked if the spices were a bit more in harmony. If some of that wonderful fried-onion aroma of the dry mix had been retained, it would have made for an elevated overall experience.
That being said, this is a nice and fresh tasting rice-based meal. With a fresh aroma and taste, every bite feels like it is made with quality ingredients. Nothing industrial, or stale here.
If you are looking for an easy to make rice-based option, this might be a suitable contendor.
24 Mantra Organic Biryani
We liked the tasty and fresh flavors of the ready-to-cook 24 Mantra Organic Biryani, but the ‘Hyderabadi’ flavors got lost in the cooking process.
MRP – Rs 120/-*
Net weight – 200 grams
*Price at the time of review
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* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.
