Activity Date: Saturday, 22nd November 2025
Cheffing: Veg and Non Veg Biryani
Kitchen: Skating and Taekwondo area
Participants: Students from Std. 8, 9 and 10
The students of Std. 8 to 10 had a captivating cooking activity that brought together the joy of learning and the art of cooking, leaving students enriched with knowledge and delightful memories.” The activity was held on Saturday, 26th July 2025 under the expert guidance of our club head Ms. Sabira Qadar.
The Chilli Wonka Club conducted a vibrant and an engaging cooking activity on the making of Veg and Non-Veg Biryani, which saw enthusiastic participation from 24 students of Grades 8, 9, and 10.
The objective of this activity was to give students a hands-on understanding of one of India’s most celebrated traditional dishes. The students were briefed about essential kitchen etiquette, the importance of hygiene, and safety protocols to be followed while handling knives, hot utensils, and cooking appliances. After the orientation, the participants were divided into two teams—one responsible for preparing the vegetarian version and the other for the non-vegetarian version of biryani. Each group gathered the required ingredients, which included premium basmati rice, aromatic whole spices such as bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, along with onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, fresh herbs, and biryani masala. The veg group worked with an assortment of vegetables such as carrots, beans, peas, potatoes, and cauliflower, while the non-veg group handled fresh chicken pieces and prepared a rich marinade using turmeric and green chillies, ginger garlic paste.
The activity progressed with students washing and soaking the basmati rice to achieve the perfect grain texture. They carefully chopped vegetables and prepared the marinade for the chicken under the guidance of the instructors. The next stage involved the preparation of the base masala, where onions were fried to a golden brown, followed by the addition of ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. As the masala thickened, students incorporated pepper powder, garam masala, and fresh herbs like coriander and mint leaves and lemon juice to enhance the flavour. The vegetable mixture was cooked until tender, while the marinated chicken was allowed to cook partially to retain moisture for the final steaming process. One of the highlights of the session was the detailed demonstration of the layering technique, a crucial step in biryani preparation. Students meticulously arranged alternating layers of half-cooked rice and the prepared masala in a, ensuring an deep cooking vessel balance of flavours.
The vessel was sealed for the traditional dum cooking, allowing the flavours to infuse and the rice to steam to perfection. During this slow-cooking stage, students discussed the importance of temperature control, timing, and moisture retention in achieving authentic biryani texture and aroma. Students plated the aromatic biryani with great care and complemented it with cool, creamy raita, offering a delightful contrast of textures and tastes.
The biryani-making activity proved to be a highly enriching learning experience, offering students a perfect blend of culinary knowledge, practical skill development, teamwork, and cultural appreciation. It enabled them to understand the significance of ingredients, the science behind marination and steaming, and the precision required in traditional cooking methods.
