Talk about comfort food, the first dish that comes to mind is the ubiquitous biriyani. The dish is synonymous with happiness considering it is always made in abundance during a special occasion where family and friends sit together and bond over biriyani.
Coorg Biryani
Ingredients
Basmati rice – 1/2 kg
Minced meat – ½ kg (Mutton kothukari)
Tomatoes – 250 gm (finely chopped)
Onions – 250 gm (finely chopped)
A bundle of mint leaves
Half a bundle of coriander
6 green chillies
Curd- 1cup
Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves – 4 nos. each
Oil – 2 tbsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Juice of one lemon
Method
In a kadhai, heat some oil and add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. Now, add the mint and coriander leaves and sauté for a while.
Next, add the onions and sauté till they are ¾ done and then pour curd into the mixture.
Now, throw in the sliced tomatoes and minced meat and continue to sauté for some time.
Add chilli and coriander powder and green chillies.
Add the rice and water in 1:1.5 ratio.
Let it cook till the rice is done and squeeze a fresh whole lemon.
Hyderabadi dum Biriyani
Ingredients
Basmati rice – ½ kg
Mutton – ½ kg
Tomatoes – 250 gm
Onions – 250 gm
A bundle of mint leaves
A bundle of coriander leaves
6 nos. green chillies
Curd – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves – 4 nos. each
Star anise, maratimogu (Indian capers), jathipathiri (mace) – 4 nos. each
Saffron – 1gm
Coconut milk – ½ litter
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cashew paste
Method
Wash the mutton pieces and marinate them in ginger-garlic paste and curd for ten minutes.
In a kadhai, add some oil and sauté the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.
Add the mint and coriander leaves and continue to sauté. Now add the chopped onions and sauté till they turn light brown.
Next, add the chopped tomatoes, cashew paste, marinated mutton pieces and add the green chillies.
Transfer the mixture to a pressure cooker, add two glasses of water and cook up to three whistles and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook the rice separately until 80% done with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and drain the water.
Now transfer the pressure cooked mutton into another vessel and top it up with the cooked rice. Sprinkle over the saffron and pour the coconut milk. Cook in dum style (make dough out of wheat flour and water and roll it flat and seal the vessel with the dough) for 20 minutes or till the rice is completely done.
Chicken Biriyani
Ingredients
Basmati rice – ½ kg
Chicken – ½ kg
Tomatoes – 250 gm
Onions – 250 gm
A bundle of mint leaves
A bundle of coriander leaves
6 nos. green chillies
Curd – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp
Chilli powder – 3 tsp
Coriander powder – 3 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves – 4 nos. each
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the chicken pieces and marinate in ginger garlic paste and curd for 10 minutes.
In a kadhai, add some oil and sauté the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. Then, add the star anise, Indian capers and mace.
Add the mint and coriander leaves and continue to sauté. Now add the chopped onions and sauté till they turn light brown.
Now, add the chopped tomatoes and continue to sauté.
Now add the chilli and coriander powder and then the green chillies.
Transfer the mixture to a pressure cooker, add two glasses of water and cook up to three whistles and simmer for 5 minutes.
Cook until rice is done.
Seafood Biryani
Ingredients
Jeeraga samba rice- ½ kg
Fish- ½ kg
Prawn- ½ kg
Squid- ¼ kg
Crab meat- ¼ kg
Tomatoes – 250 gm
Onions – 250 gm
A bundle of mint leaves
A bundle of coriander leaves
6 nos. green chillies
Curd – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp
Chilli powder – 3 tsp
Coriander powder – 3 tsp
Turmeric powder as required
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves – 4 nos. each
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Wash the seafood and marinate it in chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic past and lemon juice for 10 minutes.
In a kadhai, add some oil and sauté the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.
Add the mint and coriander leaves and continue to sauté. Now add the chopped onions and sauté till they turn light brown. Now, add the curd.
Now add the chilli and coriander powder and then the green chillies.
Now, add the chopped tomatoes and continue to sauté.
Add the rice to the mixture with 2 glasses of water and cook until the rice is ¾ done.
Top the rice with the marinated seafood, cover with a lid and cook until rice is completely done.
