Ingredients to cook rice
2 cups long grain basmati rice
2 tablespoons salt
1. Wash and drain the rice. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. When the water boils, add the rice, salt . Stir gently. When the water boils again, reduce heat to low. Simmer the rice, uncovered for about 8 minutes, or till the rice is about 3/4th cooked.
The grains must be swollen, but they must still be a little chewy. If the rice is crunchy it needs to cook more. If the rice is soft, you have over cooked it.
Drain the rice in colander. Gently wash it in cold water. Let it drain well. Then spread the rice out on a large platter to cool completely.
Ingredients for the masala
1 tablespoon cashewnuts
½ tablespoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
1 tablespoon fresh grated coconut
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 small onions grated (about ½ cup when grated)
½ bay leaf
1 thin piece of cinnamon
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, pureed in a blender
½ cup full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoons salt
1. Wash and drain the rice. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. When the water boils, add the rice, salt . Stir gently. When the water boils again, reduce heat to low. Simmer the rice, uncovered for about 8 minutes, or till the rice is about 3/4th cooked.
The grains must be swollen, but they must still be a little chewy. If the rice is crunchy it needs to cook more. If the rice is soft, you have over cooked it.
Drain the rice in colander. Gently wash it in cold water. Let it drain well. Then spread the rice out on a large platter to cool completely.
Ingredients for the masala
1 tablespoon cashewnuts
½ tablespoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
1 tablespoon fresh grated coconut
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 small onions grated (about ½ cup when grated)
½ bay leaf
1 thin piece of cinnamon
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, pureed in a blender
½ cup full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
Following vegetables boiled to be half cooked and crunchy
½ cup fresh beans, chopped
½ cup green peas
1 cup carrot, chopped into small cubes
1 cup cauliflower cut into small florets (about 12 small florets)
For layering
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
½ cup chopped mint leaves
½ teaspoon saffron dissolved in ½ cup warm milk
3 table spoon Lemon juice
A pinch Red orange color
½ cup green peas
1 cup carrot, chopped into small cubes
1 cup cauliflower cut into small florets (about 12 small florets)
For layering
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
½ cup chopped mint leaves
½ teaspoon saffron dissolved in ½ cup warm milk
3 table spoon Lemon juice
A pinch Red orange color
Method:-
1. Grind the cashew, khus khus and coconut into a smooth paste, using as little water as possible. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add grated onions, and cook on low heat till the onions are brown
3. To the onions, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Crank up the heat to medium and stir for about 1 minute or till fragrant.
4. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Stir and let it cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the coconut, khus khus, cashew paste. Stir another 30 seconds.
6. Add pureed tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
7. Add yogurt and mix well. Moving the skillet away from the heat when adding yogurt will prevent it from curdling.
8. Return the skillet to the stove. Turn heat to low, and add garam masala, chili powder, and cumin powder. Stir for 1 minute.
9. Now add the reserved vegetables and salt. Cook for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are almost done. Add ½ cup water, and simmer another 3-5 minutes.
10. Taste the gravy and adjust salt if needed. Remember: this gravy will be spicy, but when you add the rice to it later, everything will balance out.2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add grated onions, and cook on low heat till the onions are brown
3. To the onions, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Crank up the heat to medium and stir for about 1 minute or till fragrant.
4. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Stir and let it cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the coconut, khus khus, cashew paste. Stir another 30 seconds.
6. Add pureed tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
7. Add yogurt and mix well. Moving the skillet away from the heat when adding yogurt will prevent it from curdling.
8. Return the skillet to the stove. Turn heat to low, and add garam masala, chili powder, and cumin powder. Stir for 1 minute.
9. Now add the reserved vegetables and salt. Cook for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are almost done. Add ½ cup water, and simmer another 3-5 minutes.
Layering
1. Now you are ready to layer the biryani. Take a large sauce pan. Lightly oil the inside.
2. Layer everything in this order – half the rice, half the chopped cilantro, half the chopped mint, all the vegetables and gravy, remaining half of the rice, saffron dissolved in milk, remaining half the cilantro and mint.
1. Now you are ready to layer the biryani. Take a large sauce pan. Lightly oil the inside.
2. Layer everything in this order – half the rice, half the chopped cilantro, half the chopped mint, all the vegetables and gravy, remaining half of the rice, saffron dissolved in milk, remaining half the cilantro and mint.
3. Take red-orange color and dissolve it in lemon juice and sprinkle it over the top layer as shown
Layer everything as above in a deep saucepan. Cover tightly with a lid, and set it on the stove top. Cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes or till the rice is cooked through but not mushy.
Layer everything as above in a deep saucepan. Cover tightly with a lid, and set it on the stove top. Cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes or till the rice is cooked through but not mushy.
Before you serve top it with fried onions and fried cahew-nuts. Slightly more brown than what I have done.
